April 18, 2010
Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-bearers
About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when our Lord was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to His sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to anoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils that these God-loving women brought to the tomb that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence.
On this day we also make commemoration of Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple, and also of Nicodemus, who was a disciple by night. Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus, he gave Him burial out of reverence and love.
Acts 6:1-7: In the reading from Acts we see the establishment of the office of diaconate as an order of Church government with a purpose of serving the people and caring for their needs.
Mark 15:43-16:8: St Mark describes how Joseph of Arimathea claims the body of our Lord from Pilate to place it in his own tomb. On the third day, the three women learn from an angel that the Lord has risen from the dead.
Troparion of the Resurrection: When thou, O immortal Life, didst humble thyself unto death, then didst thou destroy death by the brightness of thy Godhead; and when thou didst raise the bowels of the earth, then all the heavenly powers exclaimed, O Christ, thou art the Giver of life! Glory to thee, O our God!
Troparia of the Ointment-Bearers: The pious Joseph, having brought down thy pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in fine linen, embalmed it with ointment, provided for it, and laid it in a new tomb. But thou didst truly rise, after three days, O Lord, granting the world the Great Mercy.
Verily, the angel came to the tomb and said to the ointment-bearing women, The ointment is meet for the dead, but Christ is shown to be remote from corruption. But cry ye, The Lord is risen, granting the world the Great Mercy.
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 Pascha: When Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of hades. In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming "Rejoice" to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.
CALENDAR
Sunday, April 18 (Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers)
8:50 a.m.– Orthros
9:00 a.m.– Christian Education
10:00 a.m.– Divine Liturgy
5:30 p.m.– Young Adults
Monday, April 19
Office Closed– Father John's Day Off
Tuesday, April 20
6:00 a.m.– Daily Orthros of Paschal Season
Wednesday, April 21
5:00 p.m.– Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.–Daily Vespers of Paschal Season
Thursday, April 22
6:00 a.m.– Daily Orthros of Paschal Season
Friday, April 23 (Great-martyr George)
6:00 a.m.– Festal Orthros of Paschal Season
Saturday, April 24
8:30 a.m– Workday at the Church
4:00 p.m.– Choir Practice
5:00 p.m.– Catechism Class
5:45 p.m.– Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, April 18 (Sunday of the Paralytic; Apostle and Evangelist Mark)
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 Joneses for the Divine Liturgy today.
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 be reminded that Orthros begins at 8:50 a.m. and the Divine Liturgy around 10:00 on Sundays. Habitual late arrivals are a distraction from our worship of the Holy Trinity. One should not partake of communion when arriving after the reading of the Epistle.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
April 18 Joneses Morrises
April 25 Milnors Dansereaus
May 2 Meadows POT LUCK meal
May 9 Joanna Meadows Strains
May 12 (Wed. p.m.) D. Roots Charlotte Wood(Feast of the Ascension)
May 16 Dansereaus Jones/Stewarts
May 22 (Sat. a.m.) Freundts Meadows(Saturday of the Souls)
May 23 (Pentecost) Fahmys Kh. Be'Be' Schelver
May 30 Bakers R. Roots
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 #
April 18 Warren Strain Acts 6:1-7 38
April 25 Kh. Sharon Meadows I Pet. 5:6-14 379
May 2 Mildred Morris Heb. 13:7-16 365
May 9 Kh. Be'Be' Schelver Acts 16:16-34 58
May 12 (Wed. p.m.) Brenda Baker Acts 1:1-12 63
May 16 Tom Willingham Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 66
May 22 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Acts 28:1-31 72
May 23 Tom Skirtech Acts 2:1-11 77
May 30 Walt Wood Heb. 11:33 - 12:2 84
Please remember the following in your prayers: The Longa and Dn. Sidney Elliott families from St. John's in Memphis; Fr. Donald Lloyd; Sh. Charlotte Algood, Deacon Terry and their family; Fr. James and Kh. Linda Ellison; Bobby and Sue Webb (Deborah Finley's parents); Tom Skirtech, Amy and Brantley Oliver; Reader Basil's family; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Jared and Stacy Autrey and their daughter Olivia Kate (St. Ignatius in Franklin).
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
The Esther Elliott Longa Memorial Fund has been established to help pay the medical expenses, which were very significant. If you are interested in participating, make your check out to St. Peter's and specify that it is for her memorial fund on the memo line. We will be sending a check early in May.
Camp St. Thekla will soon be here! Applications for scholarships have already been submitted, but it is still necessary to send in the applications for camp, itself. Parents, please be sure that you have done this while space is still available!!
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.
Calling everyone (especially Men): We need more help in cleaning up following Coffee Hour and meals at the Church (especially the monthly Pot Luck meals). Since the cooking and set up are usually done by the women, this is a terrific time for the men in our parish to also serve. Please remember that those hosting coffee would always appreciate a little help in setting things back right afterwards. The more hands, the quicker the work.
Our monthly Sunday Pot Luck Meal will resume on Sunday, May 2nd.
Calendar Items:
*Our next time to serve a meal at the Stewpot will be May 1st (and again later on October 30th ).
*Special Services to be held during the month of May:
Wednesday, May 12 – Orthros/Divine Liturgy (Feast of Ascension)
Saturday, May 22 – Orthros/Divine Liturgy (Saturday of the Souls)
*As is our custom, we will holding the Kneeling Vespers of Pentecost on Sunday evening, May 23rd, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*The Fast of the Apostles will begin Monday, May 31st.
Fasting Discipline for April
Starting on April 12th , traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish eggs, dairy, wine and oil) will resume on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Major Commemorations During April
April 11Thomas Sunday
April 23Great-martyr George
April 24Apostle and Evangelist Mark
Quotable: "The Resurrection of the Lord is the renewal of human nature, and the renewal, re-creation and return to immortality of the first Adam who was swallowed up by death because of sin, and through death, went back to the earth from which he was formed."
- St. Gregory Palamas
Weekly Quote: "Let us flee from the deceit of life and its supposed happiness and run to Christ alone, who is the Savior of our souls. Him let us endeavor to find Who is present everywhere, and when we have found Him let us hold Him fast and fall at His feet (Matthew 28:9) and embrace them in the fervor of our souls."
- St. Symeon the New Theologian
WORSHIP: Sunday, April 25, 2010 (Sunday of the Paralytic; Apostle and Evangelist Mark)
Scriptures: I Peter 5:6-14 (St. Mark); John 5:1-15 (Paralytic)
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Kh. Sharon Meadows
Prosphora: Milnors
Coffee Hour: Dansereaus