October 31, 2010

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

Ephesians 2:4-10:  St Paul, writing to the Ephesians, encourages us by reminding us that we who    were dead in our sins are now alive in our union with Christ because of  God's mercy toward us and are now able to do the good works prepared for us.

Luke 16:19-31:  In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, our Lord teaches us that giving mercy to others, regardless of the form, is essential to holiness.

Troparion of the Resurrection:  When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men.  Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby.  Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world;  O thou who art risen from the dead!  O Lord, glory to thee.

Troparion of the Holy Apostles:  O Holy Apostles, intercede with our merciful God to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

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 for Usual Sundays:  O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good.  Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.

CALENDAR

Sunday, October 31   (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost)

            NO Orthros

            NO Christian Education

            9:00 a.m.         -- Divine Liturgy

11:00 a.m.       -- Denis and Tatiana's Wedding followed by a Reception in the

 Fellowship Hall

Monday, November 1  

            Office Closed  -- Father John's Day Off

Tuesday, November 2  

            NO Daily Orthros

Wednesday, November 3   (Dedication of the Church of St. George)  

            5:00 p.m.         -- Catechism Class

            6:30 p.m.         -- Daily Vespers

            7:30 p.m.         -- Choir Practice

Thursday, November 4   

            6:00 a.m.         -- Daily Orthros

            11:30 a.m.       -- Men's Luncheon at Keifer's

Friday, November 5  

            6:00 a.m.         -- Daily Orthros

Saturday, November 6   (St. Raphael of Brooklyn)   

9:00 a.m.         -- Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy

5:00 p.m.         -- Catechism Class

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

Sunday, November 7   (Twenty-fourth 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 Freundts 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

         October 31                            Freundts                                   Schelvers

         November 6 (Sat. a.m.)         Fahmys                                    Karen Cooper

                  (St. Raphael of Brooklyn)

         November 7                          Bakers                                     Fahmys

         November 14                        Woods                                     Pigotts

         November 21                        R. Roots                                   POT LUCK MEAL           

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

         November 28                        Hendersons                              Morrises    

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#

October 31                  Sh. Charlotte Algood          Eph. 2:4-10                             202

November 6 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows       Heb. 7:26-8:3                          334

November 7                Warren Strain                     Eph. 2:14 to end                      207

November 14              Mildred Morris                   Acts 8:26-39                            42

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

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

Denis and Tatiana's Wedding!!  Denis Lavric and Tatiana Didic will be married this morning at 11:00 a.m. following the Divine Liturgy.  A reception will be held immediately afterward.  The entire church is invited to stay and help Denis and Tatiana celebrate this wonderful event!

Please remember the following in your prayers:  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 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.        

A special thanks to St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis for allowing us to borrow the wedding crowns for Denis and Tatiana's wedding today.

During the upcoming Fast of the Nativity we will celebrate the Paraklesis service on Wednesday evenings instead of Daily Vespers., beginning November 17^th.  These services are an important part of our preparation for the Feast of the Nativity.  Therefore, you should make every effort to attend them.

The Women of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis will be holding their annual retreat on November 12-13^th.  Subdeacon Joshua Armitage will be speaking on Prayer, Imagination, and the Name of Jesus.  The cost is $35 (including meals) or $15 (without meals).  Flyers are available in the foyer.

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).

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.

Calendar Items:

·         The Men of the parish have begun meeting for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.  This month they will be meeting at Keifer's at 11:30 a.m.

·         We will celebrate the Feast of St. Raphael of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy NEXT Saturday morning, November 6^th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

·         The Women of St. John's annual retreat in Memphis is November 12-13^th.

·         The Fast of the Nativity begins on November 15^th.  Paraklesis Services will be held on Wednesday evenings in place of Daily Vespers during the fast.

·         The Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple is November 21^st.  Since it falls on Sunday this year, we will celebrate with a Pot Luck Meal.  (We will not have a meal on the first Sunday of the month.)

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

·         The Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy 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.

Fasting Discipline for November

The traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays in the first half of the month.  Then beginning on November 15^th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting 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.

Major Commemorations During November

         November 1     Sts. Cosmos and Damian

         November 6     St. Raphael of Brooklyn

         November 8     Archangels Gabriel and Michael

         November 9     St. Nektarios the Wonder-worker

         November 13   St. John Chrysostom (repose)

         November 14   Apostle Philip

         November 16   Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

         November 21   Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

         November 23   St. Amphilochios of Iconium

         November 25   St. Catherine the Great-martyr

         November 30   Apostle Andrew, the First-called

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:  "Have you learned to see God and represent Him to yourself—as the omnipresent Wisdom, as the living, acting Word, as the vivifying Holy Spirit?  The Holy Scripture is the domain of Wisdom, Word and Spirit, of God in the Trinity; in it He clearly manifests Himself:  'The Words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life,' said the Lord.  The writings of the Holy Fathers are again the expression of the Mind, Word and Spirit of the Holy Trinity, in which the spirit of the higher class (spiritually speaking) of mankind has largely participated; the writings of ordinary worldly men are the expression of the fallen spirit of men, with all their sinful attachments, habits and passions.  In the Holy Scriptures we see God face to face, and ourselves as we are.  Man, know thy self through them, and walk always as in the presence of God."

                                                Fr. John of Kronstadt  

Worship:         Sunday, November 7, 2010 (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost)

         Scripture:                    Ephesians 2:14 to the end; Luke 8:41-56

         Celebrant:                   Father John

         Epistle Reader:           Warren Strain

         Prosphora:                  Bakers

         Coffee Hour:               Fahmys