June  2, 2013
        Sunday  of the Samaritan Woman
         
            This Sunday concludes the week which  includes mid-Pentecost.  The scriptures  for that day make reference to the great and final feast and the Lord's words  concerning fountains of living water and the nourishment of the spirit.  The episode of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's  Well and Jesus's further description of Himself as living water continue this  theme.  There are innumerable nuances to  the message of this episode, ranging from the allusion to the patriarch Joseph  to the faith of those who believe without seeing, but let us concentrate on the  woman who comes into the presence of her God.   Christ asks service of her, asks her to ignore their traditional enmity,  confuses her with parables, confronts her with her sins, and claims to be her  Messiah and Lord.  She enters the scene  with skepticism, but she does not let circumstances blind her, for the words of  the man before her ring with unmistakable authority and truth.  Whether she wants to or not, she must believe  herself to be in the presence of the Son of God; she not only believes, but she  quickly bears witness to the others of her town.  We join her in her faith, and we, too,  partake of the Water of Life.
         
        Acts  11:19-30:  Reading in Acts, we see the establishment of  the first predominately Gentile church in Antioch under the leading of Barnabas  and Saul.
         
        John  4:5-42:  In Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman  we see our Lord's concern with the truth, both in our dealings with others and  in our worship of God.  We also see that  spreading the eternal gospel of the Kingdom is a corporate action and not that  of just one or two.
    
  
        Troparion of the Resurrection:   Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel,  the women Disciples cast from them their parental condemnation, and proudly  broke the news to the Disciples, saying, Death has been spoiled.  Christ God is risen, granting the world Great  Mercy.
         
        Troparion  for mid-Pentecost:  In the midst of this Feast, O Saviour, give  my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of true worship; for thou didst call out  to all, saying, Whosoever is thirsty, let him come unto me and drink.  Wherefore, O Christ our God, Fountain of  life, glory to thee.
         
        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, June 2   (Sunday of the Samaritan Woman)
                    8:50 a.m.         -- Orthros
                    9:00 a.m.         -- Christian Education  
                    10:00 a.m.       -- Divine Liturgy
         
        Monday, June 3   
                    Office Closed  --  Father John's Day Off
                    
        Tuesday, June 4    (Metrophanes of Constantinople)
                    6:00 a.m.         -- Festal Orthros
                    
        Wednesday, June  5    
                    6:30 p.m.         --  Great Vespers
                    7:30 p.m.         -- Choir Practice
         
        Thursday, June 6
                    NO Daily Orthros
                    11:30 a.m.       -- Men's Lunch
                    
        Friday, June 7    
                    NO Daily Orthros
         
        Saturday, June 8    (Theodore  the General)  
                    5:45 p.m.         -- Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
                    
        Sunday, June 9   (Sunday of the Blindman)
                    8:50 a.m.         -- Orthros
                    10:00 a.m.       -- Divine Liturgy
                    5:30 p.m.         -- Young Adults
                    
        SPECIAL  ANNOUNCEMENTS
         
        Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Morrises for  the Divine Liturgy this morning.  
         
         Eucharist  Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                            Eucharist  Bread                     Coffee  Hour
        June 2                          Morris                                      TEMPORARILY  SUSPENDED
        June 9                          Jones                                                   DUE  TO CONSTRUCTION
        June 12 (Wed. p.m.)  Meadows
        June 16                        Davis
        June 22 (Sat. a.m.)     Yeatts                                       Koliva:  Anastasia Jones
        June 23                       Abraham
        June 29 (Sat. a.m.)     Liturgy for Sts. Peter and Paul cancelled  due to Church School
        June 30                        Basinger
         
        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#
        June 2                              Walt Wood                          Acts 11:19-30                 52
        June 9                              Sh. Charlotte Algood         Acts 16:16-34                 58
        June 12 (Wed. p.m.)       Kh. Sharon Meadows        Acts 1:1-12                     63
        June 16                            Warren Strain                       Acts 20:16-18, 28-36     66
        June 22 (Sat. a.m.)          Phillip Lasseter                    Acts 28:4-31                   72
        June 23                            Mildred Morris                    Acts 2:1-11                     77
        June 29 (Sat. a.m.)          Liturgy for Sts. Peter and Paul  cancelled due to Church School
        June 30                             Kh. Be'Be' Schelver            I Cor. 4:9-16                   130
         
        Please remember Fr.  Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle,  and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.   
         
        Please remember the  following in your prayers:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and  Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and  Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia's grandson) and his family;  Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon's sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail  Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot;Fr.  Alexander Atty, the Dean of St. Thikon's who is battling cancer.
    
  
        Please remember  Charles and Vivian Hadad  in your prayers.  They are members of  Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church and have been dear friends of St. Peter's for  many years.  Both are experiencing issues  with their health and Vivian is currently hospitalized.
         
        Continue to pray  for Metropolitan Paul (who  is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo  who were abducted recently while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.
         
        Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace,  Bishop ANTOUN.
         
        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.
         
        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.
         
        Congratulations!!             …to  Dorin and Carolina on the news of an upcoming addition to their family!
                                                  
                                                  …to  Fr. James and Kh. Sharon (and of course to Amanda and     Joseph!) on the news that they will be grandparents in January!
         
        Calendar Items:
        *    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and  fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
        *    The Paschal season will come to a close with  Paschal Vespers for the Leave-taking of Pascha on Tuesday evening, June 11th,  beginning at 6:30 p.m.
        *    We will celebrate the Feast of the Ascension  with Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, June 12th,  beginning at 6:00 p.m.  
        *    Parish Life Conference in New Orleans – June  12-16th.
        *    We will celebrate Orthros followed by Divine  Liturgy for Saturday of the Souls on Saturday morning, June 22nd,  beginning at 9:00 a.m.
        *    The Feast of Pentecost will be celebrated on  June 23rd.  As is the usual  custom in our parish, the Kneeling Vespers will be held that Sunday evening,  beginning at 6:30 p.m.
        *    Vacation Church School will be held June  27-29, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
        *    There will be no liturgy this year for Sts.  Peter and Paul due to Vacation Church School.
         
        Fasting  Discipline for June
        The  12th the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy,  wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month until the  Feast of Pentecost.  There is no fasting  of any kind during the week following Pentecost (June 24-28th).  Due to the lateness of Pentecost this year,  there will be no fast of the Apostles.
         
        Major  Commemorations for June
        June 2                    Sunday of the Samaritan  Woman
        June 4                    Metrophanes of  Constantinople
        June 8                    Theodore the General  (transfer of relics)
        June 9                    Sunday of the Blindman
        June 11                  Apostles Bartholomew and  Barnabas
        June 13                  Feast of the Ascension
        June 16                  Sunday of the Holy Fathers of  Nicea
        June 22                  Saturday of the Souls
        June 23                  Pentecost
        June 24                  Nativity of the Forerunner
        June 29                  Chief Apostles Peter and Paul
        June 30                  Sunday of All Saints
                                      Synaxis of the  Twelve Apostles
         
        Vacation Church  School …The  Christian Education department will hold a Vacation Church School June 27-29  from 8:30-12:30 each day.  The curriculum  will be "Ark of our Salvation – Feast Days of the Theotokos."  Parents, please be sure to mark your calendars  now.
         
        Happy Birthdays in June:
                 June 1                    --    Fr. James Meadows
                 June 5                    --    George Wood
                 June 6                    --    Michel Root (2012)
                 June 12                  --    Ellie Yeatts (1998)
                 June 13                  --    Lou Turner
                 June 17                  --    Sh. Margaret Root
                 June 21                  --    Sandra Strain
                 June 22                  --    Isabelle Goss (2010)
                 June 29                  --    Jennifer Skirtech
                 June 30                  --     Jeffrey Bassinger
         
        Parish Life  Conference 2013:  This year St. Basil Orthodox Church in  Metairie, LA will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June  12-16.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah  will be the speaker.  There will also be  a special presentation by Fr. Philip Rogers on keeping our children in the Orthodox  Christian Church.  Parents are especially  encouraged to hear his presentation.   Please mark your calendars now and make plans to attend.
         
        Happy Anniversaries in June:
                 June 8                    --    Nader and Lily Dabit (2008)
                 June 10                  --    Dorin and Carolina Lavric (2011)
                 June 14                  --    Ken and Anastasia Jones (1970)
                                               --    Saliba and Lamia Dabit (1964)
                 June 22                  --    Fr. Leo and Kh. Be'Be' Schelver (1974)
                 June 31                  --    Denis and Tatiana Lavric (2010)
         
        Quotable:      "'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the  love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto  us.' (Rom. 5,5)
    
  
                               The nous , on the other hand, is the  energy of the soul.  According to the  Fathers, the nous is also called the eye of the soul.  Its natural place is to be found within the  heart; to be united with the essence of the soul and to experience the  unceasing memory of God.  Its movement  goes contrary to nature when it is enslaved by the creatures of God and the  passions.  Orthodox tradition makes a  distinction between nous and reason.
    
  
                               Reason is a function in the brain whereas  the nous operates out of and is united with the heart in its natural  state.  In the saintly person, who is the  manifestation and bearer of Orthodox spirituality, reason works and is  conscious of the surrounding world while the nous is within the heart, praying  unceasingly.  The separation of the nous  from reason constitutes the state of a spiritually healthy person, and this is  the goal of Orthodox spirituality."
    
  
                                            Metropolitan  HIEROTHEOS, Orthodox Spirituality
         
         
        Worship:         Sunday, June 9, 2013 (Sunday of the Blindman)
         
                 Scripture:                                Acts 16:16-34;  John 9:1-38
                 Celebrant:                               Father John
                 Epistle  Reader:                       Sh.  Charlotte Algood
                 Prosphora:                              Jones
                 Coffee  Hour:                          Temporarily  Suspended due to Construction