Bishop Antoun to Visit St. Peter’s This Sunday (December 15)
Bishop Antoun
His Grace will arrive Saturday afternoon, settle in to his hotel and then meet with the Parish Council Saturday evening.
On Sunday he will lead the Hierarchical Liturgy starting promptly at 9:30. Assisting him with be an Archdeacon and of course Fr. Hans.
Following the Liturgy we will host a light brunch which will be our opportunity to get to know His Grace better, and for him to get to know us. He is a very approachable man and is looking forward to this visit.
Unfortunately, we do not have anymore room for the brunch. The hotel only has room for 60 people and all spaces are filled. Come join us for Divine Liturgy even if you don’t plan on staying for the brunch.
We want to give His Grace a warm, St. Peter’s welcome.
Two Days Left Before the Christmas Card Deadline! Sign-Up and Donate Online!
The Christmas Card deadline is December 15. Running late? Just sign up and make your donation on the website!
Or you can download and print the form (new window will open) and give it to Mary Copeland or Mary Jarvis at church or mail it to:
St. Peter Orthodox Mission
P.O. Box 110844
Naples, Fl. 34109
Deadline for sign-up is December 15, 2014.
You can also download the sign-up form from the St. Peter website.
Adult Bible Studies Discontinued until January
Christmas gets busy and with the Bishop’s visit, Christmas coming, and all the other assorted events, we will discontinue the bible study until January.
Listen to Fr. Hans’ Interview About Religious Freedom on Ancient Faith Radio
Last Sunday Fr. Hans was interviewed with syndicated columnist Terry Mattingly about the question: Is Religious Freedom in Peril?
The program generated a lot of response and was generally well received.
You can listen to the program here:
[audio:http://audio.ancientfaith.com/aftoday/aft_2013-12-08.mp3]Audio courtesy of Ancient Faith Radio.
Sunday Scripture Readings
Epistle
Colossians 3:4-11 (29th Sunday after Pentecost )
O Lord, how magnificent are your works.
You have made all things in wisdom.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The Reading is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians
BRETHREN,when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them.
But now put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with it s practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.
Gospel
Luke 14:16-24 (11th Sunday of Luke)
The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses.
The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ A nother said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’
So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.
For I tell you, ‘none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”