Parish Life
Welcome to the Parish Life section of Saint Peter Orthodox Church website. This is where we post news, events, photographs and more.
Welcome to the Parish Life section of Saint Peter Orthodox Church website. This is where we post news, events, photographs and more.
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Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church
Madison, Mississippi
Wednesday, June 04, 2014
6/8 announcements
June 8, 2014
Feast of Pentecost
In several senses, Pentecost marks for us the end of many months of anticipation, commemoration, and celebration and the beginning of the fullness of the life and faith we share. It is a day bringing our focus on the Holy Spirit, the embodiment of divine grace, the supreme gift, the ongoing presence of God in our lives; yet, it is a day directing us to the praise of the Trinity, the three divine persons, and the historical and spatial relationship God's people have with Him. For the disciples, the day marks their spiritual maturity. Their faith began in their nationality, for they were of the nation that God the Father chose to glorify Him. The faith was completed in their confrontation with God the Son, through His presence and the nourishment He gave. The fullness of the faith came with the coming in power of God the Spirit. The disciples had grown in spirit and were ready for their work; the birth of the Church was imminent; the Bride was to be made ready. In the cycle of the calendar, we now stand ready to do likewise, and all weeks from now until our preparation for Advent are the weeks of Pentecost. In the picture of the birth of the Church there are symbols beyond mention here; the unity in the common tongue, the Light that shines brighter than day, the bold proclamation to all men of the Gospel. We look forward from this day to weeks without special celebrations, to days without reference to past days of enormous import--to normal, uneventful days. But these are not uneventful days; they are the days for which we have prepared, the days of the Church, the days of our maturity and growth, the days when, through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, we run the good race and cross the finish to bring praise and glory to our glorious God, the eternal Trinity.
Acts 2:1-11: In the reading from Acts we see the pouring out of God's Spirit on the apostles, the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, and the beginning of the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
John 7:37-52, 8:12: Our Lord calls those thirsting for righteousness to Himself, promising to eternally quench their thirst by the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees, however, view Jesus as a threat to their authority and seek for ways to undermine His authority.
Troparion of Pentecost: Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise, having sent upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them thou hast fished the universe, O Lover of mankind, glory to thee.
Kontakion of Pentecost: When the high One descended, confusing tongues, he divided the nations. And when he distributed the fiery tongues he called all to one unity. Wherefore, in unison we glorify the most Holy Spirit.
CALENDAR
Sunday, June 8 (Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
9:45 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy with Kneeling Prayers of Pentecost
12:00 p.m. -- Pot Luck Meal
Monday, June 9 [NO Fasting this week]
Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off
Tuesday, June 10
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
Wednesday, June 11 (Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas)
6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m. -- Choir Practice
Thursday, June 12
Friday, June 13
Saturday, June 14 (Saturday of the Souls)
10:00 a.m. -- Ladies meet for Akathist and Lunch
5:45 p.m. -- Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, June 15 (Sunday of All Saints)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy
5:00 p.m. -- Young Adults
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Dn. Richard Roots for the Saturday of the Souls yesterday morning and by the Hendersons for the Divine Liturgy today. The Koliva for the Saturday of the Souls Liturgy was offered by the Joneses.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
June 8 Henderson POT LUCK MEAL
set-up: Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
June 15 Algood Pigott/Brock/Strain
June 22 Katool D. Root/Dansereau/Dale Cooper
June 29 Schelver Algood/Yeatts/Lasseter
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 8 Kh. Sharon Meadows Acts 2:1-11 77
June 15 Mildred Morris Heb. 11:33-12:2 84
June 22 Phillip Lasseter Rom. 2:10-16 90
June 29 Kh. Be'Be' Schelver II Cor. 11:21-33; 12:6-9 389-390
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.
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;
Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.
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.
Parish Life Conference: The Parish Life Conference, hosted this year by St. George Orthodox Church in Orlando, will be next week, June 11th -15th.
Parents, please supervise your children with food in the Fellowship Hall. We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).
Young Adults Study Group: The Young Adults will meet once a month on Sunday evening from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. (time will be strictly adhered to) for a meal, fellowship and teaching. The date for next meeting is, Sunday, June 15th . Please let Father John know by text or e-mail if you will be there, so that plans may be made for the meal.
Calendar Items:
* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
* The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children. Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
* The Apostles Fast begins on Monday, June 16th and continues through June 28th.
* Vacation Church School – June 26th – 28th. More information concerning times, etc. will be available in the near future.
* The Feast of The Chief Apostles Peter and Paul will be celebrated on Sunday, June 29th.
Fasting Discipline for June
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) will be observed on all the Wednesdays and Fridays of the month until the Feast of Pentecost (June 8th). There is no fasting of any kind during the week following Pentecost (June 9th -13th). The Fast of the Apostles begins on Monday, June 16th and continues through the 28th. During this time the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week.
Major Commemorations for June
June 8 Feast of Pentecost
Theodore the General (transfer of relics)
June 11 Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas
June 15 Sunday of All Saints
June 24 Nativity of the Forerunner
June 29 Chief Apostles Peter and Paul
June 30 Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles
Happy Anniversaries in June:
June 8 -- Nader and Lily Dabit (#6!)
June 10 -- Dorin and Carolina Lavric (#3!)
June 14 -- Ken and Anastasia Jones (#44!)
-- Saliba and Lamia Dabit (#50!)
June 22 -- Fr. Leo and Kh. Be'Be' Schelver (#40!)
June 31 -- Denis and Tatiana Lavric (#4!)
Happy Birthdays in June:
June 1 -- Fr. James Meadows
June 5 -- George Wood
June 6 -- Michel Root (#2!)
June 7 -- Simon Karam
June 12 -- Ellie Yeatts (#16!)
June 13 -- Lou Turner
June 17 -- Sh. Margaret Root
June 21 -- Sandra Strain
June 22 -- Isabelle Goss (#4!)
June 29 -- Jennifer Skirtech
Vacation Church School: We will be holding our Vacation Church School on Thursday-Saturday, June 26-28. The focus of this year's school will be on educating our children about the lives of their Name-Saints and of Sts. Peter and Paul. Sam Habeeb is looking for volunteers to help with this wonderful program.
Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:
-- Please remember you're in liturgy when you're in the cry room.
-- Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they're being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.
-- It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.
-- Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.
Quotable: "The second degree is prayer with attention: the mind becomes accustomed to collecting itself in the hour of prayer, and prays consciously throughout, without distraction. The mind is focused upon the written words to the point of speaking them as if they were its own."
The Art of Prayer, compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo
Worship: Sunday, June 15, 2014 (Sunday of All Saints)
Scripture: Hebrews 11:33-12:2; Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris
Prosphora: Algood
Coffee Hour: Pigott/Brock/Strain
