April 29, 2012
Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women and
Sts. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemos
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 sepulcher, 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 Athe 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 ARejoice@ to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.
CALENDAR
Sunday, April 29 (Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education
10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy
1:00 p.m. -- Young Adults
Monday, April 30
Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off
Tuesday, May 1
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
Wednesday, May 2 (Athanasios the Great)
5:00 p.m. -- Catechism class
6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers
Thursday, May 3
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
11:30 a.m. -- Men's Lunch
Friday, May 4
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
7:00 p.m. -- Daily Vespers followed by Teaching and Ice Cream Social
Saturday, May 5
10:00 a.m. -- Third Hour Prayers followed by Teaching and
Coffee Hour
5:00 p.m. -- Great Vespers (NO Ninth Hour) followed by Reception and
Banquet at MS Museum of Art
Sunday, April 29 (Sunday of the Paralytic)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education
10:00 a.m. -- Hierarchical Divine Liturgy
12:00 p.m. -- Luncheon catered by Chimneyville Smokehouse
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread …was offered by Joanna Meadows for the Divine Liturgy today.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
April 29 Joanna Meadows Ellis/Zouboukos
May 6 Yeatts Barbeque Luncheon
(set-up: Lamia Dabit/Sandy Strain/Jennifer Skirtech/Phillip Lasseter)
May 13 Freundts Morris/Jones/Stewart
May 20 Fahmys Fahmy/Pigott
May 23 (Wed. p.m.) Bakers
May 27 Wood R. Root/Algood
Please be reminded of the following:
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.
Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway. Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
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 29 Mildred Morris Acts 6:1-7 38
May 6 Phillip Lasseter Acts 9:32-42 45
May 13 Kh. Be'Be' Schelver Acts 11:19-30 52
May 20 Tom Willingham Acts 16:36-34 58
May 23 (Wed. p.m.) Brenda Baker Acts 1:1-12 63
May 27 Tom Skirtech Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 66
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose. If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
Please remember the following in your prayers: Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy's family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer's mother, Jessamine Hinkson; Warren and Sandi Strain and their family; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be'Be', Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; David Turner's mother Mary Jean; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia's grandson) and his family; Dorin and Carolina Lavric and Victor (Carolina's brother); Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon's sister); Joanna Meadows and Jay Davis (as they prepare for their wedding); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Dn. Howard Shannon.
Welcome to Silviu and Anna Maria Andrei who have become members of St. Peter! Silviu is a software developer and Anna Maria is a pathologist at Baptist Medical Center. Their son Alexander was born this past Thursday! Mother and baby are doing well.
Baby Shower: On Sunday, May 27th, we will have a "Coffee Hour/Baby Shower" in honor of Nikki and Phillip Lasseter following the liturgy. The hostesses will be Lynda Costas, Sh. Margaret Root, Anastasia Jones, Sh. Charlotte Algood, and Kh. Be'Be' Schelver. If you'd like to buy a baby gift for Titus, they're registered at Target and Babies-R-Us. Come and help us celebrate a new addition to our church!
Pentecost Feast: On June 3rd, Pentecost, we will have a "directed pot luck." Kh. Janet Henderson and Kh. Be'Be' Schelver are the hostesses in charge. There will be a sign-up sheet posted on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall. Please make an effort to sign up soon for this and plan to attend this joyous occasion.
Annual GreekFest Celebration: Holy Trinity and St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church will be holding their annual GreekFest May 18th-20th at the church (located on Pear Orchard Road across from Christ United Methodist Church). The hours for the festival are:
Friday, May 18th 11:00 a.m. -- 2:30 p.m. (Drive Thru Lunch)
Saturday, May 19th 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 20th 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Opportunity for Almsgiving: Ian Jones will be travelling to Hogar Rafael Ayau in Guatemala the first week in June as part of a mission team led by Father Chad Hatfield. They plan to help the nuns prepare for their patronal feast, catechize incoming members of the church and help in moving the orphanage out to the monastery and away from its current location in one of the most crime-ridden parts of Guatemala City. As a team member, he is attempting to raise $1100. If you would like to contribute to this cause, make your check out to St. Vladimir's Seminary, earmarked "Guatemala Mission Trip 2012," and mail it to Ian at the following address:
St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary
575 Scarsdale Road
Tuckahoe, New York 10707
Calendar Items:
* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
* Stewpot schedule (together with Holy Resurrection) – July 21st and December 29th.
Fasting Discipline for May
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.
Major Commemorations for May
April 29 Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers
May 2 Athanasios the Great
May 6 Sunday of the Paralytic
May 8 Apostle John the Theologian
May 10 Apostle Simon the Zealot
May 13 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
May 20 Sunday of the Blindman
May 21 Sts. Constantine and Helen
May 24 Feast of the Ascension
May 25 The Forerunner (3rd Discovery)
May 27 Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea
Bar-b-que on Sunday, May 6th: A sign-up sheet is in the foyer to reserve plates for the BBQ following the Hierarchical Liturgy on Sunday, May 6th. The cost is $10 per adult and $6 for each child over 6 years of age. The lunch is being catered through Chimneyville Smokehouse.
25TH Anniversary Weekend – May 4-6, 2012: A number of events are planned and special guests will be here the first weekend in May to join us in celebrating the 25th anniversary of our church's entrance into the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here, along with Father Jon Braun and Kh. Mary Ellen and Father Peter Gillquist and Kh. Marilyn. Many other friends and family will be here, too—some from Orthodox churches in the area, along with friends from St. John in Memphis. MS Mary O'Connor, representing the National Office of the Order of St. Ignatius, will also be here. Among the events planned are:
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 7:00 p.m. Daily Vespers followed by a teaching by Father Jon Braun, followed by an Ice Cream Social with light pick- up foods;
SATURDAY, MAY 5TH 10:00 a.m. 3rd Hour Prayers followed by a teaching by Father Peter Gilliquist, followed by light refreshments;
5:00 P.M. Great Vespers (Note: No 9th Hour) followed by our 25th Anniversary Reception/Banquet at the MS
Museum of Art (201 E. Pascagoula St., Jackson), with a keynote address by Father Jon Braun;
SUNDAY, MAY 6TH 8:50 a.m. Orthros/Hierachical Divine Liturgy, followed by a lunch catered by Chimneyville Smokehouse.
The Order of St. Ignatius is a service organization in our Archdiocese that has founded many worthwhile projects. If you are interested in joining this organization during His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN's visit in May, please see Father John.
When you host Coffee Hour or the meal for a Feast please make sure that the oven, warmer, and coffee maker are turned off afterwards. On several occasions in the past, the cleaning ladies have found the oven still on when they came in to clean later during the week.
Happy Anniversaries in May:
May 12 -- Cliff and Anna Kathryn Stewart (2007)
May 14 -- Lorencz and Geraldine Quirk (1960)
May 30 -- Tom and Jennifer Skirtech (1977)
Happy Birthdays in May:
May 5 -- Dale Cooper
-- Joanna Meadows
-- Mary Greene
May 7 -- Tiffany Strain (1997)
May 8 -- Kh. Janet Henderson
May 10 -- Fr. Leo Schelver
May 11 -- Meghan Brock
May 15 -- Tom Skirtech
May 21 -- Jacob Skirtech (2007)
May 24 -- Paul Katool
-- Daniel Root
May 26 -- David Turner
May 27 -- Luke Habeeb (2005)
May 30 -- Dn. Terry Algood
May 31 -- Stephen Chamblee
Quotable: "The process of fragmentation , which we inherited from our first parents, consists in thoughts being removed from the 'mind-in-the-heart,' where they belong, and placed in a state of semi-independence in the brain—where they reign apparently supreme, feeding (and in turn fed by) the ego. Through the practice of spiritual principles, the reversal of this situation is possible, but it cannot be brought about simply by an act of determination of our minds. Willpower alone is useless. I suppose it is axiomatic to say that we cannot use something that is broken to fix itself. Besides, any solution determined by our minds usually ends up as some sort of internal power-play and is doomed to failure. Healing is available, but it can only be powered by the grace of God."
Archimandrite. Meletios Webber, Bread and Water, Wine and
Oil: an Orthodox Christian Experience of God
Worship: Sunday, May 6, 2012 (Sunday of the Paralytic)
Scripture: Acts 9:32-42; John 5:1-15
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Phillip Lasseter
Prosphora: Yeatts
Coffee Hour: BARBECUE LUNCHEON
(Set-up: Lamia Dabit/Sandy Strain/Jennifer Skirtech/
Phillip Lasseter)