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