November 21, 2010

Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple

    The Presentation of the Holy Virgin into the Temple is found in the apocryphal gospels, which describe the three-year-old Mary being taken by her parents to the Temple, where she remained in a life of holiness and dedication.  Though the story be legend, as symbol it yields insight into spiritual truth.  The scriptures for vespers, matins, and the divine liturgy all speak to the relationship between man and God within the context of the Temple and emphasize two themes: holiness and the superiority of the living, eternal temple to that built of stone.  In Mary we see both.  Rather than being sanctified by the Temple, she sanctifies the Temple and all mankind by becoming herself the perfect temple in which dwelt the eternal Son.  Truly she was set apart, even as a child and consecrated to the most glorious work God granted humanity.  Truly she is the instrument by which we, too, become living temples in which God lives and which live eternal.  Truly we, the holy, catholic church, the living Temple of God, open our doors to her, most blessed of women, the Holy Mother of God.

Hebrews 9:11-14:  In our reading from Hebrews, we hear the Apostle tell us that when Christ entered the heavenly Holy of Holies through His own blood, He obtained for us eternal redemption for our sins.

 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:  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 Presentation of the Theotokos:  Today the Virgin is the foreshadowing of the pleasure of God, and the beginning of the preaching of the salvation of mankind.  You have appeared in the Temple of God openly and have gone before, preaching Christ to all.  Let us shout with one thrilling voice, saying, Rejoice, O you who are the fulfillment of the Creator's dispensation.

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 of the Theotokos:  The all-pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal-chamber and Virgin, the treasure-house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit; whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle.

CALENDAR

Sunday, November 21   (Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple)

            8:50 a.m.         -- Orthros

            9:00 a.m.         -- Christian Education

            10: a.m.           -- Divine Liturgy

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

            1:00 p.m.         -- Young Adults

Monday, November 22    

            Office Closed  -- Father John's Day Off

Tuesday, November 23   

            6:00 a.m.         -- Daily Orthros

Wednesday, November 24

            6:30 p.m.         -- Paraklesis Service

Thursday, November 25    (Great-martyrs Catherine and Mercurios)

            NO  Daily Orthros

Friday, November 26  

            NO  Daily Orthros

Saturday, November 27  

NO Catechism Class

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

Sunday, November 28   (Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost)

            8:50 a.m.         -- Orthros

            9:00 a.m.         -- Christian Education

            10: a.m.           -- Divine Liturgy

            1:00 p.m.         -- Young Adults

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Dn. Richard Roots 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.

Be sure to schedule a time for confession with your priest during the Fast of the Nativity.

Our prayers and condolences go to Deborah (Callaway) Finley, her father, Bobby, her sisters, Donna Sue and Tommy Lynn and the rest of their family on the falling asleep this week of Deborah's mother, Sue Webb.

Please remember the following in your prayers:  Sandra Strain, Warren, Tiffany and Brandon; Mrs. Gouras, Ken, Anastasia and their family; the Longa and Dn. Sidney Elliott families from St. John's in Memphis; Sh. Charlotte Algood,   Dn. Terry and their family; Fr. James and Kh. Linda Ellison; Bobby Webb (Deborah Finley's father); 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.        

Please pray for  David Turner's mother, Mary Jeanne Turner, who has been seriously ill.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour

         November 21                        R. Roots                                   POT LUCK MEAL           

                                                                 (Set-up/Clean-up:  Danereaus, D. Roots, Meadows)

         November 28                        Hendersons                              Morrises

         December 5                          Algoods                                   Strains       

         December 6 (Mon. a.m.)       Katools                                    Meadows

                  (Feast of St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker)                 

         December 12                        Schelvers                                 Joneses                 

         December 19                        Morrises                                   Dn. R. Roots

         December 24 (Fri. p.m.)       Jones                                       Sh Charlote Algood/

                  (Feast of the Nativity of our Lord)                               Kh. Be'Be' Schelver

         December 26                        Meadows                                 Woods      

         December 31 (Fri. p.m.)       Bakers (Artoklasia Bread)

                  (Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and of St. Basil the Great)                      

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#

November 21              Kh. Be'Be' Schelver           Heb. 9:1-7                               337

November 28              Brenda Baker                     Eph. 6:10-17                           223

December 5                 Tom Willingham                 Gal.5:22-6:2                            222

December 6 (a.m.)      Kh. Sharon Meadows         Heb. 13:17-21                         343

December 12               Tom Skirtech                      Eph. 5:8-19                             78

December 19               Walt Wood                         Heb.11:9-10; 17:23,32-40       348

December 24 (p.m.)    Warren Strain                     Gal. 4:4-7                                351

December 26               Sh. Charlotte Algood          Gal. 1:11-19                            188

The information for the Angel Tree is located on the table in the hallway outside the nave.  This year we are sponsoring ten children.  Please take  note that the items you purchase must be turned in no later than December 4^th .

During the upcoming Fast of the Nativity we will celebrate the Paraklesis service on Wednesday evenings instead of Daily Vespers.  These services are an important part of our preparation for the Feast of the Nativity.  Therefore, you should make every effort to attend them.

St. Nicholas Offering:  This year the money that we collect from our St. Nicholas offering on Sunday, December 5^th will be sent to the Little Lighthouse to help children with disabilities.

The Madison Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, December 4^th.  Anna Kathryn Stewart and Cliff Stewart will head this up once again.  We need volunteers to help with the float and also to ride it and to walk beside it during the parade.  If you can help with this, please contact Anna Kathryn or Cliff (SOON).

We will begin our celebration of the feast of the Nativity of our Lord with Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy, beginning at 10:00 p.m. on Friday evening, December 24^th.  A sign-up sheet for food for the meal afterwards will be available soon.

Calendar Items:

·         The Men of the parish have begun meeting for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month. The next meeting will be held at the restaurant at the Agricultural Museum (Lakeland Drive) on Thursday, December 2^nd at ll:30 a.m.

·         Paraklesis Services will be held on Wednesday evenings in place of Daily Vespers during the fast of the Nativity.

·         Madison Christmas Parade takes place on Saturday, December 4^th.

·         The Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated with Divine Liturgy (only) Monday morning, December 6^th at 6:00 a.m.

·         We will hold a One Year Memorial for Sara Cooper on Sunday, December 19^th.

·         The Nativity services will begin at 10:00 p.m. on Friday evening, December 24^th .

·         We will celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and the feastday

of St. Basil the Great with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoclasia on Friday evening, December 31^st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

·         The Lower MS Valley Deanery will hold its annual Youth Retreat the weekend of February 11-13 at Roosevelt State Park in Morton.  Information of registration, etc. will be available at a later date.

Fasting Discipline for November/December

Beginning on November 15^th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil)  is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, that through December 19^th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.  From December 20-24 the traditional fasting is observed on all days.  From December 25^th through January 4^th there is no abstinence of any sort and all types of food are permitted.

Major Commemorations During November/December

         November 23   St. Amphilochios of Iconium

         November 25   St. Catherine the Great-martyr

         November 30   Apostle Andrew, the First-called

         December 4     Great –martyr Barbara and Father John Damascene

         December 5     Sava the Sanctified

         December 6     Nicholas of Myra

         December 9     Conception of the Theotokos

         December 12   Spyridon the Wonder-worker

         December 15   Hieromartyr Eleutherios

         December 20   God-bearer Ignatius of Antioch

         December 25   Nativity of our Lord

         December 26   Synaxis of the Theotokos

                        Sunday after Nativity – Commemoration of Joseph the Betrothed, David

                         the Prophet and King, and James the Brother of the Lord

December 27   Protomartyr Stephen

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:  "The saints of God live even after their death.  Thus, I often hear in church the Mother of God singing in her wonderful, heart-penetrating song which she said in the house of her cousin Elizabeth, after the Annunciation of the Archangel.  At times, I hear the song of Moses; the song of Zacharias—the father of the Forerunner; that of Hannah, the mother of the Prophet Samuel; that of the three children; and that of Miriam.  And how many holy singers of the New Testament delight until now the whole Church of God!  And the Divine service itself—the sacraments, the rites?  Whose spirit is there, moving and touching our hearts?  That of God and of His saints.  Here is a proof for you of the immortality of men's souls.  How is it that all these men have died, and yet are governing our lives after their death—they are dead and they still speak, instruct and touch us?"

                                                Fr. John of Kronstadt  

Worship:         Sunday, November 28, 2010 (Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost)

         Scripture:                         Ephesians 6:10-17; Luke 18:18-27

         Celebrant:                        Father John

         Epistle Reader:                 Brenda Baker

         Prosphora:                       Hendersons

         Coffee Hour:                    Morrises