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 Tuesday, January 10, 2018
Homily for September 13, 2015
second set of announcements for 9/20
9/13 announcements
9/6 announcements
Homily for August 30, 2015
Homily for August 16, 2015
8/30 announcements
Homily for August 16, 2015
8/23 announcements
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Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church
Madison, Mississippi
Monday, August 31, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
8/30 announcements
August 30, 2015
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Leave-taking of the Commemoration of the Beheading of the Forerunner
I Corinthians 16:13-24: St Paul concludes his first letter to the church at Corinth with greetings
from the Christians in Asia, and encouragements to be strong in the faith and submit to their spiritual elders.
Matthew 21:33-42: From St Matthew we hear our Lord use the parable of the landowner to foretell His' rejection by the Jews and the consequences to them for that rejection.
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 the Forerunner: The memory of the righteous is celebrated with songs of praise, but the Lord's testimony is sufficient for thee, O Forerunner. Thou wast shown indeed to be the most honorable of the prophets, for in the waters thou didst baptize Him Who had been proclaimed. After suffering with joy in behalf of the truth, thou didst proclaim even to those in Hades the God Who appeared in the flesh, Who takest away the sin of the world, and granteth us 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 the Nativity of the Theotokos: By thy holy birth-giving, O pure one, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the reproach of barrenness; and Adam and Eve were delivered from the corruption of death; thy people do celebrate it, having been saved from the stain of iniquity, crying unto thee, The barren doth give birth to the Theotokos, who nourisheth our life.
CALENDAR
Sunday, August 30 (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy
5:00 p.m. -- Young Adults
Monday, August 31
Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off
Tuesday, September 1 (Indiction of the Ecclesiastical Year)
6:00 a.m. -- Festal Orthros
Wednesday, September 2
6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers
7:15 p.m. -- Choir Practice
Thursday, September 3
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
11:30 a.m. -- Men's Lunch
Friday, September 4
Saturday, September 5
5:45 p.m. -- Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, September 6 (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Brocks for the Divine Liturgy today.
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.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
August 30 Brock Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
September 6 Davis Karam/Stewart/Meadows
September 7 (Mon pm) Meadows (Artoklasia Bread) No Meal
(Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos)
September 13 Karam POT LUCK MEAL
(set-up:Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy)
September 14 (Mon am) Brock Kh. Sharon Meadows
(Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
September 20 Fahmy Pigott/Strain
September 27 Baker Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
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#
August 30 Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 16:13-24 152
September 6 Mildred Morris II Cor. 1:21-2:1-4 158
September 13 Phillip Lasseter Gal. 6:11-18 198
September 14 (Mon am) Brenda Baker I Cor. 1:18-24 311-312
(Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
September 20 Kh. Be'Be' Schelver Gal. 2:16-20 193
September 27 David Turner II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173
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 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 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 keep Sophia Skirtech and her family in your prayers. She is home home from the hospital recovering from her bad fall last week.
Our Condolences and prayers go out to Costas Pavlou, whose brother died in Greece last week, and to Saliba Dabit, whose brother-in-law also died last week. May their memory be eternal.
Jay Davis will be enrolled as a catechumen this morning. Please keep him in your prayers.
Sad Farewells! We say a sad farewell to
Robert and Deb Abraham who will be moving to Oklahoma in the next few weeks;
and also to
Rick and Kay Carlton who will be moving to Oxford, MS in September. They will be greatly missed!
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 the 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.
* We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Monday evening, September 7th, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
* Father-Son Prayer Breakfast at the church, Saturday morning, September 12th, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
* The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross will be celebrated with Divine Liturgy (only) on Monday morning, September 14th, beginning at 6:00 a.m.
* On October 18th, Niko Petrogeorge will be with us to give a presentation about FOCUS ministries.
* Our parish Fall Festival will be held at the church on Saturday afternoon, October 31st.
Christian Education Classes for the new school year will begin on Sunday, September 13th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Please be sure to have your children to the Church on time.
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 tonight and Sunday, September 20th.
Fall Festival! We will hold our parish Fall Festival on Saturday afternoon, October 31st. Ninth Hour and Vespers will be cancelled that day. There will be a petting zoo and bouncy house for the children, along with other fun activities. Be sure to mark your calendars now!
Fasting Discipline for August/September
The traditional fasting discipline (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 August/September
August 31 Depostion of the Belt of the Theotokos
September 1 Indiction of the Ecclesiastical Year
September 6 Miracle of the Archangel Michael
September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos
September 9 Righteous Joachim and Anna
September 13 Dedication of the Church of the Anastasis
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
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 when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.
Father-Son Prayer Breakfast: The men of the parish will begin meeting at the church once each quarter for a Saturday morning Father-Son Prayer Breakfast. The first prayer breakfast is scheduled for Saturday morning, September 12th, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Happy Anniversaries in September:
September 4 -- Ben and Jenna Skirtech (#14!)
September 15 -- Tom and Kathy Willingham (#25!)
September 26 -- Rod and Emily Parker (#11!)
Happy Birthdays in August/September:
August 31 -- Elizabeth Root
September 1 -- Adelina Lavric (#3!)
September 3 -- Lee Greene
-- Hannah Strange (#9!)
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 Algood
Quotable: "The philosophers philosphised by conjecture, imagination, and having reason at the centre, while for the holy Fathers the nous was the centre. They first purified their hearts of passions, and their nous was illuminated. This illumination of the nous is not just knowledge of the archetypes of beings, but the coming of the grace of God into the heart. As a result of this, they attained the vision of God, which is seeing God in the uncreated Light. It is in this way that the holy Prophets, Apostles and saints received the revelation, the manifestation of God in their hearts."
The Person in the Orthodox Tradition
by Metropolitan NAFPAKTOS Hierotheos
Worship: Sunday, September 6, 2015 (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
Scripture: II Corinthians 1:21-2:1-4; Matthew 22:2-14
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris
Prosphora: Davis
Coffee Hour: Karam/Stewart/Meadows
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
8/23 announcements
August 23, 2015
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Leave-taking of the Dormition of the Theotokos
I Corinthians 15:1-11: Continuing our reading from I Corinthians we hear St Paul present the facts of the resurrection as the basis for our salvation and the cornerstone of our faith.
Matthew 19:16-26: St Matthew describes Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler. In this
incident we learn that spirituality is not founded only on keeping the law, but on giving mercy to others and denial of oneself.
Troparion of the Resurrection: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm. He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.
Troparion of the Dormition: In thy birth-giving, O Theotokos, thou didst keep and preserve virginity; and in thy falling-asleep thou hast not forsaken the world; for living thou wast translated, being the Mother of Life. Wherefore, by thine intercessions, deliver our souls from death.
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 the Dormition: Verily, the Theotokos, who is ever watchful in intercessions, who is never rejected, neither tomb nor death could control. But being the Mother of Life, he who dwelt in her ever-virgin womb didst translate her to life.
CALENDAR
Sunday, August 23 (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. -- Orthros
10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy
5:30 p.m. -- Youth Group
Monday, August 24
Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off
Tuesday, August 25 (Apostles Bartholomew and Titus)
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
Wednesday, August 26
6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers
7:15 p.m. -- Choir Practice
7:30 p.m. -- Parish Council Meeting
Thursday, August 27
6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros
Friday, August 28
Saturday, August 29 (Beheading of the Forerunner)
11:30 a.m. -- Ladies Lunch and Meeting at the Meadows'
5:45 p.m. -- Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, August 30 (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
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 Meadows for the Divine Liturgy today.
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.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
August 23 Meadows Schelver/Lavric/Turner
August 30 Brock Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
September 6 Davis Karam/Stewart/Meadows
September 7 (Mon pm) Meadows (Artoklasia Bread) No Meal
(Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos)
September 13 Karam POT LUCK MEAL
(set-up:Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy)
September 14 (Mon am) Brock Kh. Sharon Meadows
(Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
September 20 Fahmy Pigott/Strain
September 27 Baker Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
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#
August 23 Warren Strain I Cor. 15:1-11 146
August 30 Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 16:13-24 152
September 6 Mildred Morris II Cor. 1:21-2:1-4 158
September 13 Phillip Lasseter Gal. 6:11-18 198
September 14 (Mon am) Brenda Baker I Cor. 1:18-24 311-312
(Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
September 20 Kh. Be'Be' Schelver Gal. 2:16-20 193
September 27 David Turner II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173
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 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 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.
Our Condolences and prayers go out to Jesse Milnor and his family on the repose of his uncle, Dr. Purvis Milnor, this past Wednesday morning in Memphis, TN.
Jay Davis will be enrolled as a catechumen next Sunday, August 30th. Please keep him in your prayers.
Sad Farewells! We say a sad farewell to
Robert and Deb Abraham who will be moving to Oklahoma in the next few weeks;
and also to
Rick and Kay Carlton who will be moving to Oxford, MS in September. They will be greatly missed!
August Ladies' Lunch: The Ladies Lunch in August will be held at the Meadows' home next Saturday morning, August 29th, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Fr. John will be giving a short teaching and we will be discussing plans for the upcoming year. Please mark your calendar!
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 the 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 Ladies Lunch in August will be held at the Meadows' home on Saturday morning, August 29th, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Fr. John will also be giving a short teaching.
* Father-Son Prayer Breakfast at the church, Saturday morning, September 12th, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
* Our parish Fall Festival will be held at the church on Saturday afternoon, October 31st.
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, August 30th and September 20th.
Fall Festival! We will hold our parish Fall Festival on Saturday afternoon, October 31st. Ninth Hour and Vespers will be cancelled that day. There will be a petting zoo and bouncy house for the children, along with other fun activities. Be sure to mark your calendars now!
Fasting Discipline for August
After the 15th, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. August 29th is also a strict fast day in remembrance of the beheading of the Forerunner.
Major Commemorations for August
August 25 Apostles Bartholomew and Titus
August 29 Beheading of the Forerunner
August 31 Depostion of the Belt of the Theotokos
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 when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.
Father-Son Prayer Breakfast: The men of the parish will begin meeting at the church once each quarter for a Saturday morning Father-Son Prayer Breakfast. The first prayer breakfast is scheduled for Saturday morning, September 12th, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Happy Birthdays in August:
August 4 -- Simeon Root (#6!)
August 7 -- Joseph Katool
August 18 -- Virginia Stewart (#5!)
August 20 -- Suzi Fino
August 24 -- Anastasia Jones
August 26 -- Bob Buchanan
August 27 -- Eli Dabit (#5!)
August 31 -- Elizabeth Root
Happy Anniversaries in August:
August 16 -- Rick and Kay Carlton (#40!)
August 17 -- Steve and Sheryl Chamblee (#26!)
August 18 -- Jesse and Sarah Milnor (#13!)
August 25 -- Nimr and Mona Fahmy (#41!)
August 27 -- Alfred and Christina Katool (#27!)
Quotable: "The holy Fathers also teach that the world did not come into existence through its fall from the so-called real world, the world of ideas, but it was created by God in a positive way. They also teach that the world was created 'out of naught' and that it is directed by the uncreated Providence and uncreated governing energy of God. The holy Fathers also teach that love is not only a motion of man towards God, as Plato said, nor does it express the powerlessness of man who is moved towards the prime unmoving mover in order to feel completeness, but that it is a positive energy. God is not simply the unmoving mover, but He is at the same time moved towards man. He moves and is moved. And love is not a matter of man's weakness, since God Himself, Who is love and the object of love, Who moves and is moved, is also called love.
The Person in the Orthodox Tradition
by Metropolitan NAFPAKTOS Hierotheos
Worship: Sunday, August 30, 2015 (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
Scripture: I Corinthians 16:13-24; Matthew 21:33-42
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Kh. Sharon Meadows
Prosphora: Brock
Coffee Hour: Henderson/Baker/Lavric