The theme of the third Sunday before Lent is RETURN FROM EXILE and the Gospel lesson of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is read.  We are taught by this lesson that even as we stray from God, a banquet is set for our return.  And we find that nothing in this fallen world truly satisfies, and thus we find ourselves on a pilgrimage of repentance - returning to God.

 

I Corinthians 6:12-20:  In our reading from I Corinthians we hear St Paul remind us that we have been bought with a price and that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit; therefore we should turn from immorality and glorify God.

 

Luke 15:11-32:  The parable of the prodigal son as told by our Lord serves to illustrate how precious in the sight of the Lord is one who repents from his sin and is returned to the fold.

 

Troparion of the Resurrection:  The stone being sealed by the Jews, and thy pure body being guarded by the soldiers, thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life to the world.  Wherefore, the heavenly powers acclaimed thee, O Giver of life, crying, Glory to thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to thy kingdom! Glory to thy gracious providence, O only Lover of mankind.

 

Troparion of the Unmercenaries Cyros and John:  O you silver-hating, wonder-working saints, visit our sicknesses.  Freely received you, freely give unto us.

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.

 

 

 

Sunday, January 31 (Prodigal Son)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Christian Education
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy

 

Monday, February 1
 Office Closed – Father John's Day Off
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia

 

Tuesday, February 2 (Presentation of our Lord in the Temple)
    Many years before the coming of Christ there lived a very pious and saintly man called Simeon.  He was one of the most intelligent Jewish scholars of his day.  Simeon prayed for the day that the Saviour would come and deliver all Israel (and the world) from sin.  One evening while kneeling in prayer, Simeon heard the voice of God saying to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Holy Tradition tells us that Simeon waited many long years.  Some Holy Fathers inform us that Simeon was over 150 years old when the Promise of God was fulfilled. The Holy Scriptures tell us that 40 days after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ  the Virgin Mary brought the Christ Child to the Temple for Presentation.  It was a law that the first born son of a family should be offered to God and His service, as soon as a period of purification was past.  It was here that Simeon waited patiently that day, as he had done for so many years.  The Spirit of the Lord brought him to the baby Jesus.  Simeon took the infant Child in his trembling hands and recited the following beautiful prayer which is recited in the Orthodox Church every evening during Vesper services:
 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. 
 For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the
 face of all peoples.  A Light to enlighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of
 thy people Israel."
    Thus the promise to the aged Simeon was finally fulfilled.  The next day Simeon died in peace, thankful to Almighty God that he was honored to see the coming of Christ.
    This custom has continued down to our own day for both male and female children, and every mother who brings her new-born child to Church on the fortieth day is remembering the Great Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple.   

 

 6:00 a.m. – Festal Orthros

 

Wednesday, February 3 (St. Simeon the God-receiver) 
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers followed by Parish Council Meeting
 7:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

 

Thursday, February 4
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros

 

Friday, February 5
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
     
Saturday, February 6   (Saturday of the Souls)
 9:00 a.m. – Orthros/Divine Liturgy
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 5:45 p.m. – Ninth Hour and Great Vespers
 
Sunday, February 7 (Meatfare and Sunday after the Presentation)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Christian Education
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Young Adults

 

 

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

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                       Eucharist Bread     Coffee Hour
 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

 

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.

 

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 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 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; 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.

 

 
 * 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.

 

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!!

 

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.
 
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.

 

 

Fasting Discipline for February
The traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on Wednesdays and Fridays of the month until Monday, February 8th .  Sunday, February is Judgement Sunday (Meatfare), the last day until Pascha that meat, poultry and fish are permitted. But during the following week, beginning Monday, February 8th , dairy products (milk, cheese, eggs, etc.) are permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday.  February 14th is Forgiveness Sunday (Cheesefare), the last day until Pascha that cheese, dairy and wine (some also include oil) are permitted.  Monday, February 15th , 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 March 28th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

 

Major Commemorations During January/February
 January 31  Unmercenaries Cyros and John
   Sunday of the Prodigal Son and Sunday before the Presentation
   of our Lord in the Temple
 February 2  Presentation of our Lord in the Temple
 February 3  Righteous Simeon the God-receiver
 February 6  Saturday of the Souls
 February 7  Sunday of Meatfare
 February 10 Heiromartyr Haralampos
 February 14 Sunday of Cheesefare
 February 15 Clean Monday
 February 21 1st Sunday of Lent; Sunday of Orthodoxy
 February 24 1st and 2nd Discoveries of the Head of the Forerunner
 February 28 2nd Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of Gregory of Palamas)

 

Quotable: "I implore you, my brothers, let the things you yearn for be things that lead to salvation and the preservation of your souls so that you won't put off something one day for the next and so spend two days as strangers to the good things of God."
    - St. Macarius the Spirit-bearer

 

WORSHIP: Sunday, February 7, 2010 (Sunday of Meatfare and Sunday after the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple)
   
 Scriptures:  I Corinthians 8:8 to 9:2; Matthew 25:31-46
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Richard
 Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris
 Prosphora:  Milnors
 Coffee Hour: R. Roots