Galatians 6:11-18:  In the conclusion of his letter to the Galatians, St Paul reminds them that to be circumcised or uncircumcised is not the issue, but rather to be a new creation in Christ Jesus.

 

John 3:13-17:  In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus speak concerning His purpose for coming into the world:  to save mankind through His death and Resurrection.
 
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 Commemoration: As Thou dist reveal from on high the splendor of the heavens, so Thou didst reveal on earth the splendor of the dwelling of Thy holy glory!  Make it stand firm forever and accept there the supplications which we offer Thee unceasingly through the Theotokos, Life and Resurrection of all!

 

Troparion of the Forefeast of the Cross: We offer in supplication the life-creating cross of Thy goodness, Lord, which Thou hast granted to us who art unworthy: save the Orthodox Christians, only Lover of mankind, through the Theotokos.

 

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 Holy Cross:  Do thou, who of thine own good will wast lifted up upon the Cross, O Christ our God, bestow thy bounties upon the new nation which is called by thy Name; make glad in thy might those who lawfully govern, that with them we may led to victory over our adversaries, having in thine aid a weapon of peace and a trophy invincible.

 

 

Sunday, September 13  (Forefeast and Sunday Before the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Christian Education
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults

 

Monday, September 14   (Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
    This feast is celebrated as one of the most important in the Church Year because it commemorates two events of great significance.  After St. Helen had found at Jerusalem the cross upon which Christ was crucified, she built a Church on Mount Calvary to hold the precious relic.  The Christians held the Holy Cross in such high regard that they soon began to celebrate this feast in honor of the finding of the Cross.
    In the year 614, the Persians invaded the Empire and took Jerusalem, and sent the case containing the Cross back to their country.  For fifteen years the Greek Emperor Heraclius waged war against the Persians, and finally in 629 defeated them, forcing them to make peace, and to restore the Holy Cross to him.  It is said that the case containing the sacred relics was returned to him with the seals still unbroken.  The Relics were replaced in the Church with great rejoicing, and to the original Feast in honor of the finding of the Cross was added another, in honor of its safe return to Jerusalem.
    A special feature of the Church Services on this day, is the procession in which the Cross is borne aloft on a tray of flowers and placed in the midst of the Church; the Priest then elevates it to the four corners of the compass, blessing thrice with it as he does so, and praying that God will protect and preserve the President and the Civil Authorities of our country and the Armed Forces, and guard and guide the Heirarchs and clergy of the Church, and protect and preserve all His faithful people from every evil.

 

 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off
 6:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
NOTE: This is a strict fast day.

 

Tuesday, September 15
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
  
Wednesday, September 16
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers
 7:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

 

Thursday, September 17
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros

 

Friday, September 18
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
        
Saturday, September 19
 8:00 a.m. – Work Day at the Church
 5:45 p.m. – Ninth Hour, followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, September 20  (Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Christian Education
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread: ...was offered by the Milnors for the Divine Liturgy this morning.  The Meadows offered the Artoklasis Bread for the service last Monday evening.

 

Please be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take after communion or at the end of the liturgy.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                         Eucharist Bread   Coffee Hour
 September 13                       Milnors                 Strains
 September 14 (Mon. morning) Joanna Meadows  Meadows
 September 20                       Dansereaus           Joneses/Stewarts
 September 27                       Freundts               Milnors

 

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 #
September 13                  Warren Strain                Gal. 6:11-18         198
September 14 (Mon. am)   Kh. Sharon Meadows     I Cor. 1:18-24       311
September 20                  Mildred Morris               Gal. 2:16-20          193
September 27                   Kh. Be'Be' Schelver       II Cor. 6:1-10        168

 

Sunday School!  Sunday School resumes TODAY!  Thanks to our teachers who volunteer for this important service to our church.  Parents are asked to have their children attend and be on time!

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Tom Skirtech, Amy and Brantley Oliver ;  Reader Basil's family (Dad, Bill; sister Betty; and uncle and aunt, James and Sarah Powell), the Jones' and Katherine Alker (Ken's mother suffering from lung cancer and recently moved to hospice), Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family, Bob Thayer (Charlotte Wood's father who is suffering with pancreatic cancer) and the Wood family, Chip Freundt (Cal's brother) and the Freundt 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).

 

New Time for Great Vespers on Saturdays!!  Starting next Saturday we will begin to pray Ninth Hour on Saturday evenings prior to Great Vespers.  It was also decided by the Parish Council to move Great Vespers to an earlier time.  So, in the future, Ninth Hour will begin at 5:45 p.m., followed immediately by Great Vespers (around 6:00 p.m.).  Please make a note of this change in times.

 

Sunday Pot Luck!!  The Parish Council has agreed that we will begin having a Pot Luck meal on the first Sunday of each month instead of Coffee Hour.  There will be a sign-up sheet posted on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall in the weeks prior to the meal, so that we can have an idea of the food that will be brought.  If you can't bring a dish, sign up for set-up or clean-up.  Participation is open to all (men as well as children!!)  This is a wonderful chance for some fellowship.  Please be sure to mark it on your calendars!!

 

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.

 

The Young Adults will begin meeting on Sunday evening every other week at 5:30 p.m., beginning next Sunday, September 13th .  They will begin reading the book Feast of Friendship by Fr. Paul O'Callaghan.  (The bookstore has a few copies, more will probably need to be ordered.)  Plans have also been made to have a meal with the meetings....bring your own "stuff" to grill, or whatever you'd like to eat.

 

 
 * Father Leo is serving the Divine Liturgy today at our church in Pensacola, FL, and will be at St. George in Vicksburg next weekend.

 
 * The feast of the Elevation of the Cross will be celebrated TOMORROW morning, September 14th with Divine Liturgy (only) at 6:00 a.m.

 
 * There will be a Work Day at the Church next Saturday morning, September 19th , starting at 8:00 a.m.  Come enjoy the fellowship and help spruce up the church!!

 
 * Father John will be in Shreveport the weekend of September 26-27 for the consecration of the altar at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church where Father Daniel Bethancourt is serving as pastor.

 
 * Future date for Stewpot is October 31st .

 

Fasting Discipline for September
In September, the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil)  is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays; however, a strict fast is observed on September 14th (Elevation of the Holy Cross).

 

Major Commemorations During September
 September 14 Elevation of the Precious Cross
 September 16 Great-martyr Euphemia, the All-praised
 September 20 Great-martyr Eustathios and his family
 September 23 Conception of the Forerunner
 September 24 Protomartyr Thekla, Equal-to-the-Apostles
 September 26 Repose of the Apostle John, the Theologian
 September 28 Venerable Chariton

 

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.

 

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: "Nothing so edifies our neighbor as sincere and humble speech and manners; for this serves as a spur to others never to be puffed up.  And what can be more beneficial than this?"

    - St. John of the Ladder   

 

    - St. Theophan the Recluse

 

 Scriptures:  Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris
 Prosphora:  Dansereaus
 Coffee Hour:  Joneses/Stewarts