Hebrews 6:13-end:  In his letter to the Hebrews, the Apostle reminds us that the promise of God to Abraham was fulfilled when Jesus Christ entered through the veil as a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, and that He is our hope and the anchor of our souls.

 

Mark 9:16-30:  Our Lord casts a demon out of a young boy and in so doing show that faith is essential for actions to bear good fruit.  He then gives a prophecy of His coming death and resurrection.

 

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. John of the Ladder:  The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles  a hundred-fold.  Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles.  Therefore, O righteous Father John, intercede with Christ 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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form terror.  As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

 

 

Sunday, March 29 (Sunday of St. John Climacus)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults  

 

Monday, March 30
 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off

 

Tuesday, March 31
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
  
Wednesday, April 1
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Small Compline with the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the
     Life of St. Mary of Egypt

 

Thursday, April 2
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 
Friday, April 3
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Small Compline with the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos
        
Saturday, April 4
 8:00 a.m. – Ladies Prayer Group
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, April 5 (Fifth Sunday of Great Lent – St. Mary of Egypt)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

 

 

 

Eucharist Bread: ...was offered today by the Joneses.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                     Eucharist Bread          Coffee Hour
 March 29             Joneses                   Schelvers
 April 5                 Milnors                     Joneses/Stewarts
 April 11 (Sat. a.m.) D. Roots 
         Lazarus Saturday
 April 12               Fahmys                    Freundts/Meadows/Joanna Meadows
 April 16 (Thurs. a.m.) Meadows            Meadows
         (Great and Holy Thursday)
 April 18 (Sat. a.m.) Bakers                   Milnors
         (Great and Holy Saturday)     (Very Simple)
 April 18 (Sat. night) Hendersons           Woods/Pigotts/Turners
          PASCHA  
 April 26              Joanna Meadows        R. Roots

 

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 #
March 29          Kh. Be'Be'Schelver               Heb. 6:13-20             287
April 5              Tom Willingham                    Heb. 9:11-14            290
April 11 (Sat. a.m.) Walt Wood                     Heb. 12:28-13:8         291
April 12             Tom Skirtech                       Philippians 4:4-9       294
April 16 (Thurs. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows    I Cor. 11:23-32         295
April 18 (Sat. a.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood        Rom. 6:3-11             300
April 18 (Sat. night) Warren Strain                 Acts 1:1-8                25
April 26              Mildred Morris                    Acts 5:12-20             32

 

Welcome!   ...to Philip Lassiter, who was enrolled as a catechumen on Sunday, March 15th.  May God grant him his mercies as he enters this period of preparation.

 

Congratulations to Ben and Meghan Brock! Dr. Ben will be an intern/resident at the University Medical Center in Jackson, beginning this next academic year!

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Reader Basil's family (Dad, Bill; Mom, Cleo; sister Betty; and uncle and aunt, James and Sarah Powell), Karen Cooper (recovering from knee surgery), Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family, Penny and Dean Bruner and their family, Deborah and Paul Finley, Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan Cushman's mother) and the Cushman family (St. John's in Memphis)

 

March is Ladies' Month in our Archdiocese in appreciation of the many things that are done by the ladies of our parishes.  They will be reading the Epistle during the Divine Liturgy during this month.  Also, please allow them to take communion first.

 

Please be sure to schedule a time for confession with your priest at least once during the Great Fast.  We should make every effort to not leave this important task until the last minute.

 

If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is set to the optimum temperature for the building when unoccupied.  If you have overridden the programmed setting, please be sure to restore it to the original setting.  We are trying to keep our utility costs down.  If you do not know how to operate the thermostat, please consult with either Father James or Deacon Richard for instruction. 

 

 
 * The schedule of daily evening services during the remainder of Lent are as follows:
   Wednesday, April 1st – Small Compline with the Canon of  St. Andrew of
    Crete and the Life of St. Mary of Egypt – 6:30 p.m.
   Friday, April 3rd – Small Compline with the Akathist Hymn – 6:30 p.m.
   Wednesday, April 8th – Presanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper and
    brief teaching by Father John – 6:30 p.m.
   Friday, April 10th – Small Compline with Canon of St. Lazarus – 6:30 p.m.

 
 * The next meeting for the PLC 2009 Planning Committee will Thursday, April 2nd at 7:00 p.m.

 
 * On April 12th we will have a catfish fry following the Divine Liturgy.  Catfish Haven will be providing the food again this year.  The cost will be $8 for adults and $5 for children.  A sign-up sheet is in the Fellowship Hall.

 
 * Pascha falls on April 19th this year.  Please refer to the April Calendar for the schedule of services for Holy Week. 

 
 * 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.

 

Registration for the Parish Life Conference has begun!!  Be sure to register to attend the conference.  Registration forms are available on the table in the hallway and online at our website (thanks to Daniel Root!!).  On the website you can also find the schedule of events for the conference.  If you cannot afford to attend all the meals and events, be sure to register for as many as you can, especially the Grand Banquet on Saturday evening.  Come, also, for the services.  The Very Rev. Fr. Michael Dahulich, Dean of St. Tikhon's Seminary will be the speaker this year.  You will also hear many wonderful homilies by the visiting priests.  The Bible Bowl is lots of fun (as anyone who has ever seen one will tell you) and the Oratorical Contest is a chance to hear the thoughts of some of our young people on spiritual issues.  This conference will be attended by those from our sister parishes throughout the diocese and is an opportunity to showcase our parish.  So make plans now to attend.

 

Those hosting Coffee Hour or feasts MUST be sure to place fresh trash bags in the trash cans when cleaning up afterwards.  If this is not done, items get thrown into the empty trash cans and then dumped as is into the cans outside.  The trash people will NOT pick up loose trash from the cans and have even dumped it out in the past.  This means that Father John has to pick these items up by hand and bag them!  Please help us with this!!

 

Directory Updates have been mailed to each household.  Please correct these if needed (or place a check mark on the form if the information is already correct) and mail or bring them to the church office as soon as possible. We hope to be able to have updated directories available in a few weeks, but this will only be possible if everyone does their part.  Thank you for your assistance in this task.

 

Help needed for PLC 2009 Souvenir Journal!!   The PLC committee is starting to sell ads for the souvenir journal for the Parish Life Conference and we need your help! Our goal is to sell $20,000 of ads by May 1. Please consider talking to your employer about donating for a corporate ad, and if you have any suggestions of businesses to go to or people to talk to, please let Anna Kathryn know.

 

Fasting Discipline for March/April:
March 1st is Forgiveness Sunday (Sunday of Cheese Fare), the last day until Pascha that cheese, dairy and wine (some also include oil) are permitted.  Monday, March 2nd, is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 12th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).  Bright Week (April 20-24) is a fast-free period. 

 

   On days when the Holy Eucharist will be received at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, no food or drink should be taken until after the Liturgy.

 

Major Commemorations During March/April
 March 29  Sunday of St. John Climacus (Fourth Sunday of Great Lent)
 April 5   Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (Fifth Sunday of Great Lent)
 April 11  Lazarus Saturday
 April 12  Palm Sunday
 April 13  Great and Holy Monday
 April 14  Great and Holy Tuesday
 April 15  Great and Holy Wednesday
 April 16  Great and Holy Thursday
 April 17  Great and Holy Friday (Good Friday)
 April 18  Great and Holy Saturday
 April 19  PASCHA
 April 23  Great-martyr George
 April 24  Apostle and Evangelist Mark 
 April 26  Thomas Sunday

 

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: "Have no fear then.  Now that the common Saviour of all has died on our behalf, we who believe in Christ no longer die, as men died aforetime, in fulfilment of the threat of the law.  That condemnation has come to an end; and now that, by the grace of the resurrection, corruption has been banished and one away, we are loosed from our mortal bodies in God's good time for each, so that we may obtain thereby a better resurrection."

    - St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation

 

 

 

 Scripture:  Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 10:32-45
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Epistle Reader  Tom Willingham
 Acolytes:  TBA
 Prosphora:  Milnors
 Coffee Hour:  Joneses/Stewarts
 Teen Hosts:  TBA

 

 

 

 

 

    In the middle  of Lent, the church sets before us the Cross of Christ.  On two other occasions during the year, September 14 and August 1, the cross is presented for our remembrance and veneration.  Both these feasts link the Adoration of the Cross to historic events.  However, the remembrance of the cross on the third Sunday in Lent prepares us for the commemoration of the crucifixion which is soon to follow in Holy Week, and at the same time, it reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ.  The dominant note on this Sunday, as on the two Sundays preceding, is one of joy and triumph.  No separation is made between Christ's death and His resurrection, but the cross is regarded as an emblem of victory on Calvary as seen in light of the Empty Tomb.

 

Hebrews 4:14-5:6:  After describing the all-seeing power of Jesus Christ, the writer of Hebrews reveals Him as the great high priest who perfectly identifies with us in our weakness.

 

Mark 8:34-9:1:  In our reading from the gospel of Mark we hear our Lord tell His disciples that self-denial is required for true spirituality.

 

Troparion of the Resurrection: Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross; thou didst open paradise to the thief; thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaim warning that thou hast risen, O Christ, granting the world Great Mercy.

 

Troparion of the Holy Cross:  O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting our believing kings victory over the Barbarians, and by the power of thy Cross preserving thy commonwealth.

 

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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form terror.  As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

 

 

Sunday, March 22 (Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy Cross)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group  

 

Monday, March 23
 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off

 

Tuesday, March 24
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 6:00 p.m. – Orthros/Divine Liturgy (Feast of the Annunciation)
  
Wednesday, March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation)
THE SCRIPTURE (Luke 1:26-38):  The Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee (the northernmost district of Palestine) named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house (family) of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, "Rejoice, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you!  Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father (ancestor) David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob (the father of all the tribes of Israel) for ever; and of His kingdom there will be no end."  And Mary said to the Angel, "How can this be, since I have no husband?"  And the Angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."  And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid (servant) of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."  And the Angel departed from her.

THE SIGNIFICANCE:  This feast commemorates the day when the Archangel Gabriel announced to a young virgin named Mary that she, among all women, had found favor with the Father.  She was invited to cooperate with Him for the Incarnation of His pre-eternal Son through the operation of the Holy Spirit.  This, "the beginning of our salvation," was conditioned not only by God's will and His election of Mary, but also by Mary's own "YES" to do God's will - "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

 

 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class

Thursday, March 26 (Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel)
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 
Friday, March 27
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Small Compline with the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos
        
Saturday, March 28
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, March 29 (Sunday of St. John Climacus)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults

 

 

 

Eucharist Bread: ...was offered today by the Algoods.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                     Eucharist Bread       Coffee Hour
March 22             Algoods                  Morrises
March 24 (Tuesday evening) Morrises  Katools
 Feast of the Annunciation
March 29             Joneses                  Schelvers

 

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 #
March 22      Kh. Sharon Meadows     Heb. 4:14-5:6           285
March 24 (Tues. eve.) Brenda Baker    Heb. 2:11-18            376
March 29      Kh. Be'Be'Schelver         Heb. 6:13-20            287

 

Congratulations and Many Years!!   ...to Tony and Amira Smith on the happy news of the arrival of Tony II*, on Monday, March 9th, weighing in at 8 ½ pounds! ...and to the proud grandparents, Nimr and Mona Fahmy!!

 

Welcome!   ...to Philip Lassiter, who was enrolled as a catechumen on Sunday, March 15th.  May God grant him his mercies as he enters this period of preparation.

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Karen Cooper (recovering from knee surgery), Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family, Penny and Dean Bruner and their family, Deborah and Paul Finley, Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan Cushman's mother) and the Cushman family (St. John's in Memphis)

 

March is Ladies' Month in our Archdiocese in appreciation of the many things that are done by the ladies of our parishes.  They will be reading the Epistle during the Divine Liturgy during this month.  Also, please allow them to take communion first.

 

Please be sure to schedule a time for confession with your priest at least once during the Great Fast.  We should make every effort to not leave this important task until the last minute.

 

If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is set to the optimum temperature for the building when unoccupied.  If you have overridden the programmed setting, please be sure to restore it to the original setting.  We are trying to keep our utility costs down.  If you do not know how to operate the thermostat, please consult with either Father James or Deacon Richard for instruction. 

 

 * Great Lent has begun.  The schedule of daily evening services during Lent are as follows:
     Wednesday evening (6:30 p.m.) - Presanctified Liturgy, followed by a
   Soup Supper and a brief teaching by Father John on the
   subject of "Confronting Our Thoughts";
      Friday evening (6:30 p.m.) - Akathist.

 
 * The next meeting for the PLC 2009 Planning Committee will Thursday, April 9th at 7:00 p.m.

 
 * The Feast of the Annunciation will be celebrated with Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday evening, March 24th at 6:00 p.m.  There will be a meal following the Liturgy.

 
 * On April 12th we will have a catfish fry following the Divine Liturgy.  Catfish Haven will be providing the food again this year.  More information will be available later.

 
 * Pascha falls on April 19th this year.

 
 * 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.

Registration for the Parish Life Conference has begun!!  Be sure to register to attend the conference.  Registration forms are available on the table in the hallway and online at our website (thanks to Daniel Root!!).  On the website you can also find the schedule of events for the conference.  If you cannot afford to attend all the meals and events, be sure to register for as many as you can, especially the Grand Banquet on Saturday evening.  Come, also, for the services.  The Very Rev. Fr. Michael Dahulich, Dean of St. Tikhon's Seminary will be the speaker this year.  You will also hear many wonderful homilies by the visiting priests.  The Bible Bowl is lots of fun (as anyone who has ever seen one will tell you) and the Oratorical Contest is a chance to hear the thoughts of some of our young people on spiritual issues.  This conference will be attended by those from our sister parishes throughout the diocese and is an opportunity to showcase our parish.  So make plans now to attend.

 

Those hosting Coffee Hour or feasts MUST be sure to place fresh trash bags in the trash cans when cleaning up afterwards.  If this is not done, items get thrown into the empty trash cans and then dumped as is into the cans outside.  The trash people will NOT pick up loose trash from the cans and have even dumped it out in the past.  This means that Father John has to pick these items up by hand and bag them!  Please help us with this!!

 

Help needed for PLC 2009 Souvenir Journal!!   The PLC committee is starting to sell ads for the souvenir journal for the Parish Life Conference and we need your help! Our goal is to sell $20,000 of ads by May 1. Please consider talking to your employer about donating for a corporate ad, and if you have any suggestions of businesses to go to or people to talk to, please let Anna Kathryn know.

 

Fasting Discipline for March:
March 1st is Forgiveness Sunday (Sunday of Cheese Fare), the last day until Pascha that cheese, dairy and wine (some also include oil) are permitted.  Monday, March 2nd, is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 12th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

 

   On days when the Holy Eucharist will be received at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, no food or drink should be taken until after the Liturgy.

 

Major Commemorations During March
 March 22  Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy Cross (Third Sunday of Great Lent)
 March 25  Feast of the Annunciation
 March 29  Sunday of St. John Climacus (Fourth Sunday of Great Lent)

 

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 you have given alms, no one is able to take away this good work.  Though an army, or kings, or myriads of calumniators and conspirators, were to beset you on all sides, they could not take away the possession, once deposited in heaven; by the joy thereof abides continually."

    - St. John Chrysostom

 

 

 Scripture:  Hebrews 6:13-20; Mark 9:17-30
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Richard
 Epistle Reader  Kh. Be'Be' Schelver
 Acolytes:  TBA
 Prosphora:  Joneses
 Coffee Hour:  Strains
 Teen Hosts:  TBA

 

 

 

 

 

    St. Gregory Palamas (c. 1296-1359) - St. Gregory was a Greek monk and theologian and the chief exponent of Hesychasm.  He was ordained a priest in the year 1326 and became Bishop of Thessalonica in 1347.  The political conditions made it impossible for him to take possession of the see until 1350.  He died on November 14, 1359, which is his feast day.  He was canonized in 1368.  St. Gregory stressed the biblical notion of man as a single and united whole, body and soul together.  In virtue of this, he argued that the physical exercises used by the Hesychasts in prayer, as well as their claim to see the Divine Light with their bodily eyes, could be defended as legitimate.  He distinguished between the essence and the energies of God:  God's essence remains unknowable, but his uncreated energies, which are God Himself, permeate all things and can be directly experienced by man in the form of deifying grace.
    In the earlier period, there was on this day a commemoration of the Great Martyr Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 155).  St. Gregory replaced St. Polycarp on the Second Sunday of Lent in the fourteenth century.

 

Hebrews 1:10-2:3:  Writing to the Hebrews, the Apostle quotes from Scripture to proclaim the greatness of Jesus Christ as compared with the angels;  for this reason we must be careful not to neglect our salvation.

 

Mark 2:1-12:  Reading in the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus demonstrate His authority to forgive sins by healing a paralytic.

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 St. Gregory:  O star of Orthodoxy, support of the Church and its teacher, O comeliness of ascetics, and incontestable champion of those who speak in theology, Gregory the wonder-worker, the pride of Thessalonica and preacher of grace, implore constantly for the salvation of 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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form terror.  As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

 

 

Sunday, March 15 (Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults  

 

Monday, March 16 (Christodoulos, Wonder-worker of Patmos)
 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off

 

Tuesday, March 17
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
  
Wednesday, March 18
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts, followed by Soup Supper

 

Thursday, March 19
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 12:00 Noon – Ladies Fellowship
 7:00 p.m. – Parish Life Conference Planning Committee 

  
Friday, March 20
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Akathist to the Theotokos
        
Saturday, March 21
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, March 22 (Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy Cross)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

 

 

 

Eucharist Bread: ...was offered today by the Katools.

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Karen Cooper (recovering from knee surgery), Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family, Penny and Dean Bruner and their family, Deborah and Paul Finley, Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan Cushman's mother) and the Cushman family (St. John's in Memphis)

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                         Eucharist Bread          Coffee Hour
March 15                 Katools                      D. Roots
March 22                 Algoods                     Morrises
March 24 (Tuesday evening) Morrises         Katools
 Feast of the Annunciation
March 29                 Joneses                    Schelvers

 

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 #
March 15             Mildred Morris               Heb. 1:10-2:3         283
March 22             Kh. Sharon Meadows     Heb. 4:14-5:6         285
March 24 (Tues. eve.) Brenda Baker          Heb. 2:11-18          376
March 29             Kh. Be'Be'Schelver        Heb. 6:13-20          287

 

March is Ladies' Month in our Archdiocese in appreciation of the many things that are done by the ladies of our parishes.  They will be reading the Epistle during the Divine Liturgy during this month.  Also, please allow them to take communion first.

 

Congratulations and Many Years!!   ...to Tony and Amira Smith on the happy news of the arrival of Tony II*, on Monday, March 9th, weighing in at 8 ½ pounds! ...and to the proud grandparents, Nimr and Mona Fahmy!!

Please be sure to schedule a time for confession with your priest at least once during the Great Fast.  We should make every effort to not leave this important task until the last minute.

 

If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is set to the optimum temperature for the building when unoccupied.  If you have overridden the programmed setting, please be sure to restore it to the original setting.  We are trying to keep our utility costs down.  If you do not know how to operate the thermostat, please consult with either Father James or Deacon Richard for instruction. 

 

Registration for the Parish Life Conference has begun!!  Be sure to register to attend the conference.  Registration forms are available on the table in the foyer and online at our website (thanks to Daniel Root!!).  On the website you can also find the schedule of events for the conference.  If you cannot afford to attend all the meals and events, be sure to register for as many as you can, especially the Grand Banquet on Saturday evening.  Come, also, for the services.  The Very Rev. Fr. Michael Dahulich, Dean of St. Tikhon's Seminary will be the speaker this year.  You will also hear many wonderful homilies by the visiting priests.  The Bible Bowl is lots of fun (as anyone who has ever seen one will tell you) and the Oratorical Contest is a chance to hear the thoughts of some of our young people on spiritual issues.  This conference will be attended by those from our sister parishes throughout the diocese and is an opportunity to showcase our parish.  So make plans now to attend.

 

 
 * Great Lent has begun.  The schedule of daily evening services during Lent are as follows:
     Wednesday evening (6:30 p.m.) - Presanctified Liturgy, followed by a
   Soup Supper and a brief teaching by Father John on the
   subject of "Confronting Our Thoughts";
      Friday evening (6:30 p.m.) - Akathist.

 
 * The next meeting for the PLC 2009 Planning Committee will Thursday, March 19th at 7:00 p.m.

 
 * The Feast of the Annunciation will be celebrated with Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday evening, March 24th at 6:00 p.m.  There will be a meal following the Liturgy.

 
 * On April 12th we will have a catfish fry following the Divine Liturgy.  Catfish Haven will be providing the food again this year.  More information will be available later.

 
 * Pascha falls on April 19th this year.

 
 * 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.

 

Those hosting Coffee Hour or feasts MUST be sure to place fresh trash bags in the trash cans when cleaning up afterwards.  If this is not done, items get thrown into the empty trash cans and then dumped as is into the cans outside.  The trash people will NOT pick up loose trash from the cans and have even dumped it out in the past.  This means that Father John has to pick these items up by hand and bag them!  Please help us with this!!

 

Help needed for PLC 2009 Souvenir Journal!!   The PLC committee is starting to sell ads for the souvenir journal for the Parish Life Conference and we need your help! Our goal is to sell $20,000 of ads by May 1. Please consider talking to your employer about donating for a corporate ad, and if you have any suggestions of businesses to go to or people to talk to, please let Anna Kathryn know.

 

Fasting Discipline for March:
March 1st is Forgiveness Sunday (Sunday of Cheese Fare), the last day until Pascha that cheese, dairy and wine (some also include oil) are permitted.  Monday, March 2nd, is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 12th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

 

On days when the Holy Eucharist will be received at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, no food or drink should be taken until after the Liturgy.

 

Major Commemorations During March
 March 15  Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas (Second Sunday of Great Lent)
 March 22  Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy Cross (Third Sunday of Great Lent)
 March 25  Feast of the Annunciation
 March 29  Sunday of St. John Climacus (Fourth Sunday of Great Lent)

 

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: "We who formerly hated and murdered one another and did not even share our hearth with those of a different tribe because of their customs, now, after Christ's appearance, live together and share the same table.  Now we pray for our enemies and try to win those who hate us unjustly so that they too may live in accordance with Christ's wonderful teachings."
    - St. Justin Martyr

 

 Scripture:  From Website
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father Leo
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Epistle Reader  Kh. Sharon Meadows
 Acolytes:  TBA    
 Prosphora:  Algoods
 Coffee Hour:  Morrises
 Teen Hosts:  TBA

 

 

 

 

 

    On the first Sunday of Great Lent, we celebrate the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.  This is an historical feast commemorating the restoration of the icons, which had been banned for several decades, to their rightful liturgical use in the year 843 A.D.
    The major emphasis of this feast is the victory  of the true faith, the victory which always ultimately triumphs.  Having completed the first week of our lenten efforts, we are reminded that Christ, the perfect image of God the Father, calls us to personal victory by restoring within ourselves "the image and likeness of God" in which we were first created (Genesis 1:26).
    The icons of Our Lord, the Theotokos, and all the saints are images of true humanity, signs of what our eternal calling and vocation really is.  They tell us that we are all called to be living icons and imitators of Christ, bearing the likeness of God as gracious vessels of the Holy Spirit.
 
Hebrews 11:24-26;32-40:  The writer of Hebrews calls us to consider the faith of those Old Testament   saints who endured hardships and death and yet still did great things because of their faith.  The Apostle encourages us to lay aside the encumbrances of sin and run with endurance the race that is set before us.

 

John 1:44-52:  From our reading in the Gospel of John we see Jesus call Philip and Nathaniel to be His disciples.

 

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 Sunday of Orthodoxy: Thy pure image do we venerate, O good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God; for by thine own will thou didst ascend the Cross in thy body, to save thy creatures from the bondage of the enemy.  Thou hast truly filled all with joy, since thou didst come, O our Saviour, to save the world.

 

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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form terror.  As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

 

 

Sunday, March 8  (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg  

 

Monday, March 9
 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off

 

Tuesday, March 10
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
  
Wednesday, March 11
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, followed by Soup Supper

 

Thursday, March 12
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros 
  
Friday, March 13
 6:00 a.m. – Lenten Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Akathist to the Theotokos
        
Saturday, March 14  (Saturday of the Souls)
 9:00 a.m. – Orthros and Divine Liturgy
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, March 15  (Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults

 

 

 

Eucharist Bread: ...was offered today by the Algoods.

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Karen Cooper (recovering from knee surgery), Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family, Penny and Dean Bruner and their family, Deborah and Paul Finley, Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan Cushman's mother) and the Cushman family (St. John's in Memphis)

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                     Eucharist Bread         Coffee Hour
March 8             Schelvers                     Dansereaus
March 14 (Saturday morning) Meadows   Meadows
 (Saturday of the Souls)
March 15           Katools                        D. Roots
March 22           Algoods                       Morrises
March 24 (Tuesday evening) Morrises     Katools
 Feast of the Annunciation
March 29           Joneses                       Schelvers

 

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 #
March 8       Warren Strain                Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40     281
March 15     Mildred Morris                Heb. 1:10-2:3               283
March 22     Tom Willingham             Heb. 4:14-5:6               285
March 24 (Tues. eve.) Brenda Baker   Heb. 2:11-18                376
March 29     Kh. Sharon Meadows      Heb. 6:13-20                287

 

If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is set to the optimum temperature for the building when unoccupied.  If you have overridden the programmed setting, please be sure to restore it to the original setting.  We are trying to keep our utility costs down.  If you do not know how to operate the thermostat, please consult with either Father James or Deacon Richard for instruction. 

 

Please be sure to schedule a time for confession with your priest at least once during the Great Fast.  We should make every effort to not leave this important task until the last minute.

 

Registration for the Parish Life Conference has begun!!  Be sure to register to attend the conference.  Registration forms are available on the table in the foyer and online at our website (thanks to Daniel Root!!).  On the website you can also find the schedule of events for the conference.  If you cannot afford to attend all the meals and events, be sure to register for as many as you can, especially the Grand Banquet on Saturday evening.  Come, also, for the services.  The Very Rev. Fr. Michael Dahulich, Dean of St. Thikon's Seminary will be the speaker this year.  You will also hear many wonderful homilies by the visiting priests.  The Bible Bowl is lots of fun (as anyone who has ever seen one will tell you) and the Oratorical Contest is a chance to hear the thoughts of some of our young people on spiritual issues.  This conference will be attended by those from our sister parishes throughout the diocese and is an opportunity to showcase our parish.  So make plans now to attend.

 

 
 * Great Lent has begun.  The schedule of daily evening services during Lent are as follows:
     Wednesday evening (6:30 p.m.) - Presanctified Liturgy, followed by a
   Soup Supper and a brief teaching by Father John on the
   subject of "Confronting Our Thoughts";
      Friday evening (6:30 p.m.) - Akathist.

 
 * The Vespers Service for the Sunday of Orthodoxy will be held THIS EVENING at St. George's in Vicksburg on Sunday evening, March 8th at 6:00 p.m.  Be sure to take your icons with you for the Procession during
  the Vespers service.

 
 * We will celebrate Orthros and Divine Liturgy for Saturday of the Souls on Saturday morning, March 14th at 9:00 a.m.

 
 * The next meeting for the PLC 2009 Planning Committee will Thursday, March 19th at 7:00 p.m.

 
 * The Feast of the Annunciation will be celebrated with Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday evening, March 24th at 6:00 p.m.  There will be a meal following the Liturgy.

 
 * On April 12th we will have a catfish fry following the Divine Liturgy.  Catfish Haven will be providing the food again this year.  More information will be available later.

 
 * Pascha falls on April 19th this year.

 
 * 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.

 

Those hosting Coffee Hour or feasts MUST be sure to place fresh trash bags in the trash cans when cleaning up afterwards.  If this is not done, items get thrown into the empty trash cans and then dumped as is into the cans outside.  The trash people will NOT pick up loose trash from the cans and have even dumped it out in the past.  This means that Father John has to pick these items up by hand and bag them!  Please help us with this!!

 

Help needed for PLC 2009 Souvenir Journal!!   The PLC committee is starting to sell ads for the souvenir journal for the Parish Life Conference and we need your help! Our goal is to sell $20,000 of ads by May 1. Please consider talking to your employer about donating for a corporate ad, and if you have any suggestions of businesses to go to or people to talk to, please let Anna Kathryn know.

 

Fasting Discipline for March:
March 1st is Forgiveness Sunday (Sunday of Cheese Fare), the last day until Pascha that cheese, dairy and wine (some also include oil) are permitted.  Monday, March 2nd, is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 12th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

 

   On days when the Holy Eucharist will be received at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, no food or drink should be taken until after the Liturgy.

 

Major Commemorations During March
 March 8  Sunday of Orthodoxy (First Sunday of Great Lent)
 March 15  Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas (Second Sunday of Great Lent)
 March 22  Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy Cross (Third Sunday of Great Lent)
 March 25  Feast of the Annunciation
 March 29  Sunday of St. John Climacus (Fourth Sunday of Great Lent)

 

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: "Every soul that has knows the Lord yearns for Him and cries, 'Where art Thou, o Lord? Where art Thou, my Light? What hinders Him from dwelling in me?'  This hinders Him:  Christlike humility and love for my enemies."
    - St. Silouan of the Holy Mountain

 

 

 Scripture:  Hebrews 1:10-2:3; Mark 2:1-12
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Richard
 Epistle Reader  Mildred Morris
 Acolytes:  TBA
 Prosphora:  Katools
 Coffee Hour:  Daniel Roots
 Teen Hosts:  TBA