August 15, 2010

Dormition of the Holy Theotokos

    We celebrate this month the Feast of the Dormition (or "Falling Asleep") of the Theotokos.  Church Tradition states that the Virgin Mary died in her early fifties.  The icon shows her lying upon her funeral bier.  On either side of the bier stand the Apostles; the group on the left is led by St. Peter who stands at the head of the bier; the group on the right is led by St. Paul who stands at the foot of the bier.  At the time of her death many of the Apostles were scattered throughout the world preaching the Gospel.  However, they all returned to Jerusalem upon learning of her death.  All arrived in time for the burial except St. Thomas.  Standing by the bier is her Son, who had come to receive His Mother's soul into heaven.  He holds in His arms an infant in white symbolizing the soul of the Theotokos.  The Orthodox Church, although it has never had the need to make it a dogma (as has the Roman Catholic Church), also believes in the Virgin Mary's "assumption" or bodily resurrection into heaven.  Tradition relates that when the other disciples showed St. Thomas (who arrived in Jerusalem after the burial) the tomb in Gethsemane where the Theotokos had been buried near her parents, they discovered that the tomb was empty.

Philippians 2:5 - 11:  This passage calls us to ponder the humility of Christ, a truth necessary for suf­fering Christians to un­derstand and live out.  The passage has been incorporated into many hymns of the Orthodox Church, especially for feasts of the Virgin Mary, through whose humble obedience Christ came in the likeness of men.

Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28:  In these passages from Luke the focus is on devotion and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.  In the first part, Martha was distracted and troubled about many things in providing hospitality for Jesus.  But the one thing needed was for her to listen to Christ, to hear His words - a priority which certainly does not exclude serving Him.  In the second part, we read that God's blessing falls not upon those who have prominent family connections, but upon those who hear the word of God and keep it.  Jesus is not denigrating His mother; she both heard God's word and kept it, and thus be­came the most blessed of women.

Troparion of the Resurrection:  Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm.  He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

Troparion of the Dormition:  In thy birth-giving, O Theotokos, thou didst keep and preserve virginity; and in thy falling-asleep thou hast not forsaken the world; for living thou wast translated, being the Mother of Life.  Wherefore, by thine intercessions, deliver our souls from death.

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 Dormition:  Verily, the Theotokos, who is ever watchful in intercessions, who is never rejected, neither tomb nor death could control.  But being the Mother of Life, he who dwelt in her ever-virgin womb didst translate her to life.

CALENDAR

Sunday, August 15   (Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos)

            8:50 a.m.         -- Orthros

            10:00 a.m.       -- Divine Liturgy

            12:00 p.m.       -- Pot Luck Meal

5:30 p.m.         -- Young Adults

Monday, August 16

            Office Closed  -- Father John's Day Off

Tuesday, August 17

            6:00 a.m.         -- Daily Orthros

Wednesday, August 18

            6:30 p.m.         -- Daily Vespers

Thursday, August 19  

            6:00 a.m.         -- Daily Orthros

Friday, August 20 

            6:00 a.m.         -- Daily Orthros

Saturday, August 21

            5:00 p.m.         -- Catechism Class

            5:45 p.m.         -- Ninth Hour Prayers followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, August 22   (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost; Sunday after the Dormition of

the Theotokos)

            8:50 a.m.         -- Orthros

            10:00 a.m.       -- Divine Liturgy

            12:00 p.m.       -- Ladies of St. Peter

5:30 p.m.         -- Youth Group

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Fahmys for the Divine Liturgy today.

Please be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  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

         August 15                             Fahmys                                    (Pot Luck) Skirtechs

                  Feast of the Dormition                                                 Parkers & Katools

         August 22                             Bakers                                     Morrises

         August 29                             Woods                                     Joneses

Memory Eternal!  Very Rev. Fr. Matthew MacKay, the pastor of St. Joseph Antiochian Orthodox Church in Houston, TX and the Dean of his deanery, died of a heart attack this past Monday while jogging.  Father Matthew was a friend of several in our parish.  Please keep his family (Kh. Lynn and their sons, Patrick and Sean) in your prayers.

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#

August 15                    Tom Willingham                Phil. 2:5-11                             403

August 22                    Tom Skirtech                    I Cor. 16:13-24                      152

August 29                    Walt Wood                      Acts 13:25-33                         406

Please remember the following in your prayers:  Anna Kathryn and Cliff Stewart and their unborn child; The Longa and Dn. Sidney Elliott families from St. John's in Memphis; Fr. Donald Lloyd; Sh. Charlotte Algood, Dn. 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.        

Andrew Sellers will be baptized Saturday morning, September 18^th.  Please pray for him, his parents and his godparents.

Welcome! to the Zouboukos family, Anthony and Athena with their children Demetrius, Alexa and Nicholas.  

Ellie Wise, a member of St. Anthony Orthodox Church in Arlington, WA will be starting her freshman year at Belhaven College soon.  Ellie wishes to attend Vespers and Divine Liturgies, but she will be living on campus and has no car.  We need 3-4 volunteers to be able to work out transportation for her.  If you can help, please let Father John know.

There is a Workday scheduled for NEXT Saturday morning, August 21^st.  We have several items, both in the building and also the grounds, which need attention.  Come for breakfast and stay to enjoy the fellowship while we "spruce" up our facilities.

Father John has returned  from the Clergy Symposium at the Antiochian Village.  The talks, concerning the diaconate, priesthood and episcopacy were recorded.  These may be found on Ancient Faith Radio, probably under "Coverage for Symposium."  Bishop MICHAEL Dahulich's talk on the episcopacy was especially good.

Calendar Items:

·         We will celebrate the Feast of the Dormition today with a Pot Luck Meal following the Divine Liturgy.  We invite all visitors to stay for the meal and the fellowship.

·         Our next time to serve a meal at the Stewpot will be on October 30^th.

Fasting Discipline for August

The traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.  August 29^th is also a strict fast day in remembrance of the Beheading of the Forerunner.

Major Commemorations During August

         August 29        Beheading of the Forerunner (strict fast day)

Quotable:  "God has created all people spiritually equal.  Every person has the same propensity for good and evil.  Every person has the same choice, as to whether to obey God or defy him.  Yet, in other ways, we are very unequal.  Some people are highly intelligent, while others have feeble intellects.  Some people are physically strong and healthy, while others are weak and prone to illness.  Some people are handsome and attractive, while others are plain.  Those who are gifted in some way should not despise those less gifted.  On the contrary, God has distributed gifts and blessings in such a way that every person has a particular place and purpose within a society—and thus everyone is equally necessary for a society to function well.  So do not resent the fact that someone is more intelligent or stronger than you are.  Instead give thanks for their intelligence and strength, from which you benefit.  And then ask yourself:  'What is my gift, and thence what is my place in society?'  When you have answered this question, and you act according to your answer, all contempt and all resentment will melt away."

                                                                              St. John Chrysostom

Worship:         Sunday, August 22, 2010 (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost;

                        Sunday after the Dormiton of the Theotokos)

         Scripture:                 I Corinthians 16:13-24; Matthew 21:33-42

         Celebrant:                Father John

         Epistle Reader:        Tom Skirtech

         Prosphora:               Bakers

         Coffee Hour:           Morrises