The theme of the fourth Sunday before Lent is HUMILITY and the Gospel lesson of the Publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14) is read.  Here we are taught to avoid the arrogant thoughts of the Pharisee and to emulate the humble prayer of the Publican "God be merciful to me a sinner."

 

II Timothy 3:10-15:  In St Paul's second letter to Timothy we are reminded that godliness will bring persecutions;  and we are encouraged to continue doing those things that we have been taught so as to gain the wisdom that leads to salvation in Christ.

 

Luke 18:10-14:  In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-gatherer, Jesus teaches us that justification does not come to those who are proud and arrogant, but rather to those who are humble and repentant.

 

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 Blessed Xenia:  Through thee the divine likeness was securely preserved, O Mother Xenia; 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 of the Presentation: Thou, O Christ God, who by your Birth, didst sanctify the Virgin's womb, and as is meet, didst bless Simeon's arms, and didst also come to save us, preserve thy fold in wars, and confirm them whom thou didst love; for thou alone art the Lover of mankind.

 

No fasting during this week

 
Sunday, January 24 (Publican and the Pharisee)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Christian Education
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 12:00 noon – Pot Luck Meal and Fund-raising Auction
 5:30 p.m. – Young Adults

 

Monday, January 25  (St. Gregory the Theologian)
 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off

 

Tuesday, January 26
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros

 

Wednesday, January 27 (St. John Chrysostom) 
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers
 7:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

 

Thursday, January 28
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros

 

Friday, January 29
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 MS Valley Deanery Youth Retreat at John W. Kyle State Park
     
Saturday, January 30
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 5:45 p.m. – Ninth Hour and Great Vespers
 
Sunday, January 31 (Prodigal Son)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Christian Education
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 NO Youth Group (Teen Retreat this weekend)

 

 

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

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                   Eucharist Bread       Coffee Hour
 January 24                       Schelvers                Pot Luck
 January 31                       Morrises                 Milnors
 February 1 (Mon. evening) D. Roots (Artoklasia Bread)
  Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple
 February 6 (Sat. morning)  Joneses 
  Saturday of the Souls
 February 7                       Milnors                   R. Roots
 February 14                     Meadows                Woods/Teens
 February 21                     Joanna Meadows     Hendersons
 February 28                     Freundts                 Freundts

 

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 #
January 24                     Walt Wood                 II Tim. 3:10-15               258
January 31                     Warren Strain              I Cor. 6:12-20               265
February 6 (Sat. a.m.)     Brenda Baker              I Cor. 10:23-26              271
February 7                      Mildred Morris             I Cor. 8:8 - 9:2              273
February 14                    Kh. Be'Be' Schelver     Rom. 13:11 - 14:4         279
February 21                    Tom Willingham          Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40     281
February 28                    Tom Skirtech              Heb. 1:10 - 2:3              283

 

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.

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Sh. Charlotte Algood, Deacon Terry and their family; Fr. James and Kh. Linda Ellison, Amy and Michael Surratt; Lee Greene; Karen Cooper; Bobby and Sue Webb (Deborah Finley's parents); Tom Skirtech; Amy and Brantley Oliver;  Reader Basil's family (sister Betty; uncle and aunt, James and Sarah Powell);  Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Jared and Stacy Autrey and their daughter Olivia Kate (St. Ignatius in Franklin).

 

House Blessings! A sign-up sheet is available in the fellowship hall to sign up for your house blessing.  Please schedule these as soon as possible.  Everyone should have their house blessed.  However, the responsibility for scheduling lies with individuals and not Father John.  No house blessings will be done once Great Lent starts (February 15th this year).

 

The Sara Cooper Memorial Fund will remain open until further notice.  Please designate the fund on your checks if you are making donations.

 

Auction.....the Ladies of St. Peter will hold their fund-raising auction TODAY.  Please plan to stay for the meal and the fun!!  The Ladies are raising money for the new monastery of St. Thekla that is being built at the Antiochian Village.

 

Saturday of the Souls will be celebrated with Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Saturday, February 6th beginning at 9:00 a.m.  February 7th will be Meatfare Sunday, with Cheesefare falling on February 14th and Great Lent beginning on the 15th .  More information will be available soon on services during the Fast.

 

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.

 

 
 * We will celebrate the feast of the Presentation of Lord in the Temple with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Monday evening, February 1st at 6:30 p.m.  There will not be a meal associated with this service.

 
 * The MS Valley Deanery will hold its annual Teen Retreat NEXT week-end at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis, MS.  Father James Coles, pastor of St. Ignatius Mission in Mesa, AZ, will be the speaker.  His topic will be "How to Experience the Peace of God in a Chaotic World."  More details will be available at a later date.

 

Sunday Pot Luck!!  On the first Sunday of each month instead of Coffee Hour we have a Pot Luck meal.  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!!

 

Fasting Discipline for January
There is no fasting during the week following the Sunday of Publican and the Pharisee (January 25 - 30th).

 

Major Commemorations During January
 January 24  Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee
 January 25  St. Gregory the Theoplogian
 January 27  St. John Chrysostom
 January 30  Three Hierarchs
 January 31  Unmercenaries Cyros and John
   Sunday of the Prodigal Son and Sunday before the Presentation
   of our Lord in the Temple

 

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.
 
Quotable: "Our inner lives never get put into the proper order all of a sudden.  What is always required and what lies ahead is intensified labor over one's inner self, by the assimilation of good intention and the enabling of grace through the Mysteries.  This labor is directed toward destroying the disorder that reigns inside; in its place it establishes order and harmony, after which follows inner peace and a continual joyful mood of the heart."
    - St. Theophan the Recluse
   

    - St. Nikon of Optina

 

 

 Scriptures:  I Corinthians 6:12-20; Luke 15:11-32
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Richard
 Epistle Reader: Warren Strain
 Prosphora:  Morrises
 Coffee Hour: Milnors