Parish Life

Homily for September 13, 2015

Here is the homily for September 13, 2015

posted by Daniel Root at 11:28 AM Parish Life

second set of announcements for 9/20

September 20, 2015

Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross

Galatians 2:16-20: We hear from St Paul's letter to the Galatians that we are justified by faith in Christ, not by works of the Law; and that we now live our lives by faith in the Son of God.

Mark 8:34-9:1: In our reading from the gospel of Mark we hear our Lord tell His disciples that self-denial is required for true spirituality.

Troparion of the Resurrection: Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross; thou didst open paradise to the thief; thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaim warning that thou hast risen, O Christ, granting the world Great Mercy.

Troparion of the Holy Cross: O Lord, save thy people and bless Thine inheritance, granting to Thy people victory over all their enemies, and by the power of thy Cross preserving Thy commonwealth.

Troparion for St. Eustathios and his Family: Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons= strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

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 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 20 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)

8:50 a.m. -- Orthros

9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education

10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy

5:00 p.m. -- Young Adults

Monday, September 21

Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off

Tuesday, September 22

6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. -- Ladies Lunch

Wednesday, September 23 (Conception of the Forerunner)

6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. -- Choir Practice

7:30 p.m. -- Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, September 24 (Proto-martyr Thekla)

6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros

Friday, September 25

Saturday, September 26 (Apostle John the Theologian)

5:45 p.m. -- Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, September 27 (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. -- Orthros

9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education

10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy

5:30 p.m. -- Youth Group

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Brocks for the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross last Monday morning and by the Fahmys for the Divine Liturgy today.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

September 20 Fahmy Pigott/Strain

September 27 Baker Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker

October 4 Wood D. Root/Dansereau

October 11 R. Root POT LUCK MEAL

(set-up: Algood/Lasseter)

October 18 Henderson R. Root/Habeeb

October 25 Algood Schelver/Lavric/Turner

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 20 Kh. Be'Be' Schelver Gal. 2:16-20 193

September 27 David Turner II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173

October 4 Walt Wood II Cor. 9:6-11 178

October 11 Sh. Charlotte Algood Titus 3:8-15 322

October 18 Warren Strain Col. 4:5-18 324

October 25 Kh. Sharon Meadows Gal. 2:16-20 193

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 continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

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.

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.

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 men of the parish will meet at the church once each quarter for a Saturday morning Father-Son Prayer Breakfast.

* Mary Brock will be baptized on Saturday morning, October 17^th.

* On October 18^th, 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 31^st.

Stewpot Ministries: We will be serving our next meal at the Stewpot NEXT Saturday, September 26^thalong with volunteers from Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Evangelist. St. Peter will be providing desserts and drinks this 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 Sundays, October 4^th and 18^th.

Special Olympics Awareness Day is Sunday, October 18^th. The youth Group will be collecting donations for the Special Olympics Camp that is held each year at the Antiochian Village.

Fall Festival! We will hold our parish Fall Festival on Saturday afternoon, October 31^st, beginning at 4:00 p.m. 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 September

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.

Major Commemorations for September

September 23 Conception of the Forerunner

September 24 Proto-martyr Thekla

September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)

September 28 Venerable Chariton

Pan-orthodox Ladies Retreat: In conjunction with Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian, we will be hosting a one day women's retreat at St. Peter. The date is Saturday, November 14. Mother Nectaria will be our keynote speaker and will be talking on "How Can I Live a Christian Life in a Culture that Embraces Non-Christian Values". We should have brochures out later this month so we can register. The registration fee will be $20.00 in advance or $25.00 at the door. This includes a continental type breakfast and a catered lunch. We will meet from 9 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. If for any reason you cannot afford the registration fee, just let Christina know. We want all of our ladies to have the chance to attend.

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.

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 September:

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: "'Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming; and is now already in the world.' (I John 4:1-3)

If such a warning by the beloved disciple of Christ, the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, was necessary in apostolic times, then it is all the more timely now. For it is unlikely that at any time in human history have so many false prophets captivated people with the specter of good as now, in our times. If we approach this spirit with the standard indicated by the Apostle, then it can be shown that they 'do not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh,' even if certain of them do not display open hostility to our Lord and Saviour."

The Struggle for Virtue

by Archbishop AVERKY

Worship: Sunday, September 27, 2015 (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: II Corinthians 6:16-7:1; Luke 5:1-11

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: David Turner

Prosphora: Baker

Coffee Hour: Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker

posted by Daniel Root at 11:54 AM Parish Life

9/13 announcements

September 13, 2015

Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross

Forefeast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Galatians 6:11-18: In the conclusion of his letter to the Galatians, St Paul reminds them that to be circumcised or uncircumcised is not the issue, but rather to be a new creation in Christ Jesus.

John 3:13-17: In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus speak concerning His purpose for coming into the world: to save mankind through His death and Resurrection.

Troparion of the Resurrection: When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men. Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world; O thou who art risen from the dead! O Lord, glory to thee.

Troparion of the Forefeast of the Cross: We offer Thee in mediation the life-giving Cross, which, of Thy goodness, Thou hast given us, the unworthy, O Lord. Save Thy hierarchs and Thy flock, and grant Thou peace through the Theotokos, O only Lover of mankind.

Troparion of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection: Thou hast shown the earthly beauty of the holy tabernacle of Thy glory to be like unto the splendor of the heavenly firmament, O Lord. Strengthen it forever and ever, and accept our prayers which we unceasingly offer therein unto Thee, through the Theotokos, O Thou Who art the Life and Resurrection of all.

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 Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection: The Church is shown to be a many-lighted heaven that doth shine a guiding light upon all them that do believe; wherein while standing, we cry aloud: Do Thou Thyself now establish this house, O Lord.

CALENDAR

Sunday, September 13 (Sunday before the Elevation of the Cross)

8:50 a.m. -- Orthros

9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education

10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. -- Pot Luck

5:30 p.m. -- Youth Group

Monday, September 14 (Elevation of the Holy Cross) [STRICT FAST DAY]

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.

6:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy (only)

Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off

Tuesday, September 15

6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros

Wednesday, September 16

6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. -- Choir Practice

Thursday, September 17

6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros

Friday, September 18

Saturday, September 19

8:30 a.m. -- Workday at the Church

5:45 p.m. -- Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, September 20 (Sunday after the Elevation of the 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 Karams for the Divine Liturgy today.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

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

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#

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 continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

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.

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.

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 men of the parish will meet at the church once each quarter for a Saturday morning Father-Son Prayer Breakfast.

* The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross will be celebrated with Divine Liturgy (only) tomorrow morning, beginning at 6:00 a.m.

* Mary Brock will be baptized on Saturday morning, October 17^th.

* On October 18^th, 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 31^st.

Stewpot Ministries: We will be serving our next meal at the Stewpot on Saturday, September 26^thalong with volunteers from Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Evangelist. St. Peter will be providing desserts and drinks this 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 Sundays, September 20^th, and October 4^th and 18^th.

Special Olympics Awareness Day is Sunday, October 18^th. The youth Group will be collecting donations for the Special Olympics Camp that is held each year at the Antiochian Village.

Fall Festival! We will hold our parish Fall Festival on Saturday afternoon, October 31^st, beginning at 4:00 p.m. 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 September

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. September 14^th is also a strict fast day in remembrance of the Elevation of the Holy Cross.

Major Commemorations for September

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.

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 September:

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

Pan-orthodox Ladies Retreat: In conjunction with Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian, we will be hosting a one day women's retreat at St. Peter. The date is Saturday, November 14. Mother Nectaria will be our keynote speaker and will be talking on "How Can I Live a Christian Life in a Culture that Embraces Non-Christian Values". We should have brochures out later this month so we can register. The registration fee will be $20.00 in advance or $25.00 at the door. This includes a continental type breakfast and a catered lunch. We will meet from 9 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. If for any reason you cannot afford the registration fee, just let Christina know. We want all of our ladies to have the chance to attend.

Quotable: "So the orthodox theologian is a modern man, because he deals with so-called existential problems which are on people's minds, but chiefly because he uses the most modern method, that of observation and action in order to attain knowledge of God. And when he reaches and attains the knowledge of God, then he feels an inner fullness, he experiences God as love and as a lover who moves and is moved."

The Person in the Orthodox Tradition

by Metropolitan NAFPAKTOS Hierotheos

Worship: Sunday, September 20, 2015 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)

Scripture: Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Kh. Be'Be' Schelver

Prosphora: Fahmy

Coffee Hour: Pigott/Strain

posted by Daniel Root at 11:52 AM Parish Life