Galatians 3:23-29;4:1-5:  In this reading from Galatians we hear St. Paul explain that prior to the coming of Christ, we were under the Law and hence divided, but now that Christ has come we are justified by faith in Christ and have become one, belonging to Christ.  Therefore, we are no longer under bondage to the Law and the world, but are now free as children of God.

 

Matthew 9:27-35:  The Lord Jesus again demonstrates His mercy by healing two blind men and casting out a demon from a man possessed.  We see that the Lord has compassion for all those who are oppressed by sin, death and Satan.

 

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. Paraskeva:  Through thee the divine likeness was securely preserved, O Mother Paraskeva; for thou didst carry the cross and followed Christ.  By example and precept thou didst teach us to ignore the body because it is perishable, and to attend to the concerns of the undying soul.  Therefore, doth thy soul rejoice with the angels.

 

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, July 26  (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

 

Monday, July 27  (Great-martyr Panteleimon)
 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off

 

Tuesday, July 28
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
  
Wednesday, July 29
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers, followed by Parish Council Meeting
 7:30 p.m. – Choir Practice (New day of the week for practices)

 

Thursday, July 30
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros

 

Friday, July 31
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
        
Saturday, August 1  (Fast of the Dormition begins)
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers
 
Sunday, August 2  (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults

 

 

 

Eucharist Bread: ...was offered by the Fahmys for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

 

Memory Eternal!  Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Baker family in the falling asleep in the Lord of Reader Basil's mother, Mrs. Cleo Baker in Starkville.  May her memory be eternal!

Congratulations and Many Years! ...to Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Baker – who were married yesterday (July 25th) in Newberry, S.C.  May God grant them many years!

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                         Eucharist Bread      Coffee Hour
 July 26                                     Fahmys             Fahmys
 August 2                                  R. Roots            Freundts
 August 5 (Wed. Not Thurs. eve) Hendersons
          Feast of the Transfiguration
 August 9                                  Woods               Schelvers
 August 15 (Sat. morning)           Algoods
 August 16                                Katools              Chamblees
 August 23                                Schelvers            Pigotts
 August 30                                Morrises             Dansereaus

 

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 #
July 26                    Walt Wood                    Gal. 3:23-29; 4:1-5     160
August 2                 Sh. Charlotte Algood       I Cor. 1:10-17            124
August 5 (Wed. eve) Kh. Sharon Meadows     II Peter 1:10-19          401
August 9                  Warren Strain                I Cor. 3:9-17              130
August 15 (sat. morn) Brenda Baker              Philp. 2:5-11              403
August 16                Kh. Be'Be' Schelver        I Cor. 4:9-16              135
August 23                Tom Willingham             I Cor. 9:2-12              141
August 30                Tom Skirtech                 I Cor. 15:1-11            146

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Tom Skirtech, Amy and Brantley Oliver (they will be moving to Monroe shortly); Jack and Ginny Henderson (Fr. John's parents) and their family; Reader Basil's family (Dad, Bill; sister Betty; and uncle and aunt, James and Sarah Powell), Ken Jones' mother (recovering from hip 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) Jared and Stacy Autrey and their daughter Olivia Kate (St. Ignatius in Franklin).

 

 
 * The fast of the Dormition will begin August 1st and continue through the feast on the 15th .  As usual we will be celebrating the Paraklesis service on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings during this time.  Please make plans to attend as many of these beautiful services as possible.

 
 * We will celebrating the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord with Orthros and Divine Liturgy beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening, August 5th.

 
 * The feast of the Dormition falls on Saturday this year.  We will be having Great Vespers on Friday evening, August 14th at 6:30 p.m. and Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, August 15th , beginning at 9:00 a.m.
 * Future dates for Stewpot meals are September 5th and October 31st .

St. Peter shirts....several of you placed an order for one of the shirts with our name on them.  They have arrived and the cost is $30.  If you ordered one of these, please see Fr. John.  We do have a few extras if someone wanted one but was unable to order it.

 

Fasting Discipline for July/August
The traditional fasting (no meat, fish, dairy, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of July.  The traditional fasting discipline is also observed August 1 through 14 (the Dormition Fast), except on August 6 (the Feast of the Transfiguration) when fish and wine are permitted.

 

Major Commemorations During July/August
 July 27   Great-martyr and Unmercenary Panteleimon
 July 31   Forefeast of the Procession of the Precious Cross
 Aug 1   Procession of the Cross
 Aug 6   Transfiguration of Our Lord
 Aug 15   Dormition of the Theotokos
 Aug 29   Beheading of the Forerunner, John the Baptist (strict fast day)

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.

 

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!!

 

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.       
  
Quotable: "How can I prepare for death in a Christian manner?  By means of faith and good works and by bravely bearing the miseries and sorrows that happen to you, so as to be able to meet death fearlessly, peacefully and without shame."
    - St. John of Krondstadt   

 

 

 

 Scriptures:  I Corinthians 1:10-17; Matthew 14:14-22
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Epistle Reader:  Sh. Charlotte Algood
 Prosphora:  R. Roots
 Coffee Hour:  Freundts