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.
Previous Posts
Homily for September 7th, 2014
Homily for August 31, 2014
Homily for August 24th, 2014
Homily for August 17th, 2014
9/7 announcements
8/31 announcements
8/24 announcements
8/17 announcements
Homily for August 10th, 2014
8/10 announcements
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Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church
Madison, Mississippi
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
9/14 announcements
September 14, 2014
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
This feast is celebrated as one of the most important in the Church Year because it commemorates two events of great significance. After St. Helen had found at Jerusalem the cross upon which Christ was crucified, she built a Church on Mount Calvary to hold the precious relic. The Christians held the Holy Cross in such high regard that they soon began to celebrate this feast in honor of the finding of the Cross.
In the year 614, the Persians invaded the Empire and took Jerusalem, and sent the case containing the Cross back to their country. For fifteen years the Greek Emperor Heraclius waged war against the Persians, and finally in 629 defeated them, forcing them to make peace, and to restore the Holy Cross to him. It is said that the case containing the sacred relics was returned to him with the seals still unbroken. The Relics were replaced in the Church with great rejoicing, and to the original Feast in honor of the finding of the Cross was added another, in honor of its safe return to Jerusalem.
A special feature of the Church Services on this day, is the procession in which the Cross is borne aloft on a tray of flowers and placed in the midst of the Church; the Priest then elevates it to the four corners of the compass, blessing thrice with it as he does so, and praying that God will protect and preserve the President and the Civil Authorities of our country and the Armed Forces, and guard and guide the Hierarchs and clergy of the Church, and protect and preserve all His faithful people from every evil.
I Corinthians 1:18-24: On this day as we exalt the Cross of Christ we read in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians that the word of the cross is the power of God and the means by which we are saved.
John 19:6-35: In the reading from St. John's Gospel we read of Jesus' trial before Pilate and of His subsequent crucifixion and death on the cross.
Troparion of the Holy Cross: O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting our believing kings victory over the Barbarians, and by the power of thy Cross preserving thy commonwealth.
Kontakion of the Holy Cross: Do thou, who of thine own good will wast lifted up upon the Cross, O Christ our God, bestow thy bounties upon the new nation which is called by thy Name; make glad in thy might those who lawfully govern, that with them we may led to victory over our adversaries, having in thine aid a weapon of peace and a trophy invincible.
CALENDAR
Sunday, September 14 (Elevation of the Holy Cross)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education
10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy
12:00 p.m. -- Pot Luck Meal (Lenten dishes, please)
5:30 p.m. -- Youth Group
Monday, September15
Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off
Tuesday, September 16
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
Wednesday, September 17
6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m. -- Choir Practice
7:30 p.m. -- Parish Council Meeting
Thursday, September 18
Friday, September 19
Saturday, September 20
8:30 a.m. -- Workday at the Church
5:45 p.m. -- Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, September 21 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education
10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy
5:00 p.m. -- Young Adults
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Hendersons for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos this past Monday morning and by the Algoods for the Divine Liturgy today.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
September 14 Algood POT LUCK MEAL [Lenten dishes]
set-up: Schelver/Lavric/Turner
September 21 Katool Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
September 28 Schelver Karam/Stewart/ Meadows
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#
September 14 * Walt Wood * I Cor. 1:18-24 311-312
September 21 * Sh. Charlotte Algood * Gal. 2:16-20 193
September 28 * Warren Strain * II Cor. 6:1-10 168
* (Please note that these assignments differ from the Quarterly Schedule)
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
* Fr. John and Kh. Janet will be in New Orleans the week-end of October 3-5 for the memorial of the falling asleep of Fr. Stephen Hardy who was a long-time pastor at St. Basil Orthodox Church.
* We will be serving a meal at the Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, October 25th in conjunction with members of Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches. St. Peter will be providing casseroles for the meal. We will also be serving a meal with them on Saturday, November 29th.
* Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton on November 4-6th. His topic will be Christ in the Old Testament.
* The enthronement of His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH is scheduled for the weekend of December 5-7th at the Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY.
Young Adults Study Group: The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month. One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith. Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children. The next meetings will be Sunday, September 21st and Ocotber 5th for fellowship and October 19th for teaching.
Lower Mississippi Valley Teen Retreat: The Teen Retreat will be February 13-15, 2015 at Roosevelt State Park. The speaker for the retreat will be Heiromonk Benedict (Josuah Armitage). His topic will be "Dealing with Doubts about God." We are very excited to have Fr. Benedict come to address this important topic with our teens! Be sure to mark your calendars now.
Supper Clubs: If you are interested in participating in a Supper Club this year, please sign the sheet located in the Fellowship Hall.
Fr. Nikolai from St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis has been reassigned to serve as the pastor/protos of St. George Orthodox Church in New Hartford, NY. He, Kh. Jeanette and their children will probably be leaving sometime before the 10th of October.
Fasting Discipline for September
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. September 14th is also a strict fast day in remembrance of the Elevation of the Holy Cross.
Major Commemorations for September
September 14 Elevation of the Holy Cross
September 23 Conception of the Forerunner
September 24 Proto-martyr Thekla
September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)
September 28 Venerable Chariton
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).
Happy Birthdays in September:
September 1 -- Adelina Lavric (#2!)
September 3 -- Lee Greene
-- Hannah Strange (#8!)
September 4 -- Fr. John Henderson
September 8 -- Nikki Lasseter
September 9 -- Rebecca Dansereau
September 10 -- Dorin Lavric
September 12 -- Alvin Buckles
September 15 -- Lynda Costas
September 17 -- Jeffrey Schelver
September 18 -- Carolina Lavric
September 25 -- Rick Carlton
September 30 -- Laura Yeatts
Happy Anniversaries in September:
September 4 -- Ben and Jenna Skirtech (#13!)
September 15 -- Tom and Kathy Willingham (#24!)
September 26 -- Rod and Emily Parker (#10!)
Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall: There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms. Please be sure that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees when you leave the building
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: "At the time of your defeat, when you are bound both with languor and slothfulness, and subdued by the enemy in the most painful misery and wearisome labour of sin, ponder in your heart on the former time of your diligence, and how you used to concern yourself even over the most minute matters, and the valiant struggle which you displayed, and how you were stirred up with zeal against those who would hinder you in your progress."
St. Isaac the Syrian
Worship: Sunday, September 21, 2014 (Leave-taking and Sunday after the Elevation of
the Holy Cross)
Scripture: Gal. 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood
Prosphora: Katool
Coffee Hour: Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
