Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Seventeenth Sunday of Matthew
Leo the Great, Pope of Rome; Agapitos the Confessor, bishop of Synnada in Phrygia, and his companions
Who was St. Leo the Great, Pope of Rome?
Saint Leo I the Great, Pope of Rome (440-461), received a fine and diverse education, which opened for him the possibility of an excellent worldly career. He yearned for the spiritual life, however, and so he chose the path of becoming an archdeacon under holy Pope Sixtus III (432-440), after whose death Saint Leo was chosen as Bishop of Rome in September 440.
These were difficult times for the Church, when heretics assaulted Orthodoxy with their false teachings. Saint Leo combined pastoral solicitude and goodness with an unshakable firmness in the confession of the Faith. He was in particular one of the basic defenders of Orthodoxy against the heresies of Eutyches and Dioscorus, who taught that there was only one nature in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was also a defender against the heresy of Nestorius.
He exerted all his influence to put an end to the unrest by the heretics in the Church, and by his letters to the holy emperors Theodosius II (408-450) and Marcian (450-457), he actively promoted the convening of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, at Chalcedon in 451, to condemn the heresy of the Monophysites.
[…]
Read the entire story on the Orthodox Church in America website.
Services and Events This Week
- Sun Feb 11 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Feb 13 — PARAKLESIS TO THE THEOTOKOS 8:00am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Feb 14 — EARLY DIVINE LITURGY 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Feb 16 — Brotherhood of St. Paisios 7:00pm
- Sat Feb 17 — ST THEODORE OF TYRE DIVINE LITURGY 8:00am LIVE STREAM
Web Site Fixed — But Please Be Patient Because…
…It still needs some fine tuning. Websites are fickle beasts but we are almost there. The good news is that the calendar is back. One or two weeks and it will be where we want it to be.
Fr. John Parker, President of St. Tikhon’s Seminary to Visit St. Peter’s on Sunday, February 18, 2024
Fr. John, president of St. Tikhon’s Seminary will join us on Sunday, February 18. Fr. John will offer the sermon and then a brief talk on “Philoxenia” in the Social Hall after the Liturgy. Philoxenia means “love of the stranger,” a virtue developed out of the Christian ehtos and practiced in thriving practices as openness, charity, and support of those whom God brings us. This virtue begins in the church and ought to flow into our private lives and the larger culture as well.
This is a topic close to Fr. John’s heart and can be of great benefit to us. Join us for what promises to be very edifying instruction.
Mark Your Calendars
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Sun Feb 18 — Fr. John Parker at St. Peter’s
- Sat Feb 24 — Church Safety Committee Meeting at 1:00pm
Church Medical, Safety, and Security Meeting on February 24, 2024
If you are part of the Greeters, Sunday School Team, Food Prep, Medical, and Safety Teams, please attend. All church members are invited to attend. The team exists to keep members and our Church safe and secure.
The meeting with be held on Saturday February 24 at 1:00pm
Bible Bowl Invitation!
All teens are invited to join our Catechism team and study the book of Romans. Actually adults are invited too as we can have an adult team as well.
St. Peter’s teens won 2nd place last year at the Parish Life Conference for the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast.
The competition this year will be held in Georgia, near Atlanta over the weekend of June 13-15. All questions for the competition will be from the book of Romans.
If you are interested in studying Romans, whether you want to travel to the conference in Georgia or just study with the team, please contact Diana Najjar at 317-213-5785 or msdiananajjar@gmail.com. Currently we are studying by zoom, but we plan to meet together when the opportunity arises. Diana is flexible to work with teens at a time that fits their schedule.
Landscape Beautification Fund Grows to $4000
$10,000 is needed to purchase trees and shrubbery and $4000 is already raised. We will remove the dead and diseased trees, plant new tree along the Hickory Road Border, and clear the grounds on the south side of the rear parking lot. Thank you to Doug Kucera for designing a master plan.
If you can contribute in part or in full, please contact Fr. Hans or Ron Franklin, Parish Council President.
Sign up the the Monthly DOMSE Newsletter on the DOMSE (Diocese of Miami and the Southeast) Website!
Visit the DOMSE Website (scroll to the bottom, fill in the form on the left side) to sign up for “The Light” Newsletter and DOMSE emails.
DOMSE MEN’S RETREAT IN MARCH 2024
80 attendees registered! Only 75 spaces left.
More information at DOMSE website.
ST. PETER’S GREETERS
FEBRUARY 2024
- FEB 4 George Karounos – Doug Kucera
- FEB 11 Joe and Deb Repya –
- FEB 18 Moriah Peterson – Pavlo Bilych
- FEB 25 Barb – Costa Dionysopoulos
Can you volunteer? Please call Joe Repya 612-270-4443.
SOCIAL HALL ALL STARS
FEBRUARY 2024
TEAM #2 – Margie Zimmerman Group
Feb 04 –- Coffee, Bagels and Mixed Fruit
Feb 11 –- Coffee, Donuts and Mixed Fruit
Feb 18 –- Coffee, Cookies and Mixed Fruit
Feb 25 –- Coffee, Coffee Cake and Mixed Fruit
MARCH 2024
TEAM #3 – (Need to appoint a new Team Leader) for March 2024
March 03 – Coffee, Bagels and Mixed Fruit*
March 10 – Coffee, Donuts and Mixed Fruit*
March 17 – Catered Lunch for Theo’s 99th Birthday
March 24 – Coffee, Cookies and Mixed Fruit*
March 31 – Coffee, Coffee Cake and Mixed Fruit*
APRIL 2024
TEAM #1 – Barbara Dionysopoulas Group for April 2024
April 07 – Coffee, Bagels and Mixed Fruit*
April 14 – Coffee, Donuts and Mixed Fruit*
April 21 – Coffee, Cookies and Mixed Fruit*
April 28 – Coffee, Coffee Cake and Mixed Fruit*
MAY 2024
TEAM #2 Margie Zimmerman Group for May 2024
May 05 – Coffee, Bagels and Mixed Fruit*
May 12 – Coffee, Donuts and Mixed Fruit*
May 19 – Coffee, Cookies and Mixed Fruit*
May 26 – Coffee, Coffee Cake and Mixed Fruit*
For Special Events/Koliva please contact BARBARA SASEN and give her a completed Special Events Form which is found in the lobby of the church.
The Social Hall All Stars are the men and women that make St. Peter’s Social Hall happen. Thank you All Stars!
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
- Sun Feb 11 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Feb 13 — PARAKLESIS TO THE THEOTOKOS 8:00am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Feb 14 — EARLY DIVINE LITURGY 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Feb 16 — Brotherhood of St. Paisios 7:00pm
- Sat Feb 17 — ST THEODORE OF TYRE DIVINE LITURGY 8:00am LIVE STREAM
- Sun Feb 18 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Feb 20 — PARAKLESIS TO THE THEOTOKOS 8:00am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Feb 21 — EARLY DIVINE LITURGY 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Feb 23 — Brotherhood of St. Paisios 7:00pm
- Sat Feb 24 — FIRST AND SECOND FIND OF THE HEAD OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST 8AM LIVE STREAM
- Sat Feb 24 — Church Safety Committee Meeting at 1:00pm
- Sun Feb 25 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Feb 27 — PARAKLESIS TO THE THEOTOKOS 8:00am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Feb 28 — EARLY DIVINE LITURGY 6:00am LIVE STREAM
Wisdom From The Elders
Before all spiritual gifts, undistraction (concentration) is given to the mind by our Lord Jesus Christ, and the invocation in the heart of His holy name with faith. St. Kallistus Xanthopoulos
We don’t understand that happiness is in eternity and not in vanity. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
Every man of himself is so insignificant and helpless that he receives everything necessary to support his existence, not from himself, but from without; he himself is nothing. And as his body is supported by air, food, and drink, so his soul is supported by prayer, by reading God’s Word, and by the communion of the Holy Mysteries. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
The Holy Orthodox Church has determined the rules of preparation for Holy Communion. The main thing is to prepare the heart for uniting with the Lord. Fasting is necessary for calming the body, and once the body is at peace, the soul is at peace, too. Elder Thaddeus(Strabulovich) of Vitovnica
To repent—means to feel in our hearts the falsehood, the madness, the guilt of our sins, it means—to acknowledge that we have offended, by them, our Creator, our Lord, our Father and Benefactor, Who is infinitely holy, and infinitely abhors sin, it means, to desire, with the whole soul, to amend and to expiate our sins. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
Excessive conveniences make life difficult for people. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
The fact that the truths revealed by Christianity communicate to us information about things such as our reason could in no way whatsoever reach by itself, and moreover, these truths solve successfully all our questions about the Author of our being; the beginning of the world; the origin of all creatures, including man; the primitive condition of the latter; the conditions necessary for blessedness; the cause of evils falling upon mankind; the meaning of death; the life hereafter; and the end of all visible things. Yakov Tyagunoff
God’s boundless wisdom has given each person a rcross according to his/her character and strength. If we carry our cross without grumbling, repent of our sins and do not justify ourselves, then like the good thief we shall enter God’s Kingdom. But if we grumble, if we blaspheme God and our neighbor, we shall perish like the wicked thief—in great torment, without the hope of salvation to lessen our grief. The choice lies in our own hands. Abbot Nikon Vorobiev
- Names will remain on the list for three months.
- If you would like to keep them on longer please mention it to Fr. Hans. We will keep the names on the list for as long as the person needs prayers.
- Names will include the person who requested the prayers and the month the name will be removed.
- The permanent list includes friends and members of St. Peter’s and others including shut-ins.
Were names dropped that should have remained? Please mention it to Fr. Hans. He will add them back.
Current Prayer List
Diane (Najar)
William (Semeretis)
David (Orfanos)
Maria (Orfanos)
William (Long)
George (Chionis 11-1)
Haley
Lydia
Mark (Chionis 11-1)
Katheryn (Chionis 11-1)
Jacob (Chionis 11-1)
Ken (Chionis 11-1)
Maxim (Koco)
George (Tsikistas 8/1)
George (Mourgis 8/1)
Barbara (Sason 8/1)
Anthony (Breitenbach 6/1)
Arielle (Ghanem 6/1)
Nicholas (Ghanem 6/1)
Christos
Father Demetris
Jamie
Pamela
David
Jessica
Christina (Hildreth)
Georgia and Richard and their unborn child (Chapekis)
Dionysios Chapekis)
Nancy (Forderhase)
Kayla (Palantine)
George (3/23 Chapekis)
Penelope (3/23 Chapekis)
Theodora (3/23)
Victor (3/23)
Les (3/23
Lynn (Hurely 1/23)
Irene and newborn baby (Tsikitas 1/23)
Linda (Pappas 1/23)
Ekaterina (Chapekis 1/23)
Lee (Hurley 1/23)
Emmanuel (Kalousdis 1/23)
Katherine (Dusckas 1/23)
Vassiliki (Diveris 1/23)
Zena Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Lamia Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Matthew (Contorelli 1/23
Emmanuel (Kaloudis 1/23)
Nicholas
Marlene (Tewis 12/22)
Tina (Johnson 12/22)
Nicholas (De Lorenzo 12/22)
Priest Anthony (Karbo 11/22)
Archpriest Dionysius (Valentine 9/12)
Anthony Presbyter (Kerr 10/22)
John Presbyter (Jacobse)
Elain Presbytera (Jacobse)
Constantine(Jacobse)
Chrysoula(Jacobse)
Angel (Ghanem 10/22)
Edgar (Chapekis 9/22)
Evthriki (Jacobse 9/22)
Christos (Johnson 8/22)
Jon Paul (Andrew 8/22)
William (Brubaker 8/22)
Peter (Tewis 8/22)
The People of Ukraine and People of Russia and all those who are suffering in the war
Permanent Prayer List
Michael (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Katerina (Sovjani)
Frederick (Sovjani)
Arsen (Sovjani)
Irene (Diveris)
Katheryn (Tolkkinen)
Markisia (Long)
Angela (Long)
Marina (Long)
Eleni (Long)
Raphaella (Long)
Joanne (Haley)
Corwin (Dusckas)
Corgette (Troutman)
Irina (Irina)
Lidia (Irina)
Sarina (Ghanem)
Debbie (Breitenbach)
Kathy (Breitenbach)
Hope (Isadore)
s
John (Long)
Pantelis (Tsikita)
Marisa (Tsikita)
Barbara (Dionysopoulos)
Patricia (Evanoff)
Gabriel (Mankus)
Baby Dani (Repya)
Despina (Diversis)
Fredericos (Diveris)
Herman (Kerr)
Innocent (Kerr)
Nicholas (Kerr)
Paola (Jacobse)
Gregory (Yankopolos)
Pauline (Poulos)
Sergio (Kazakos)
Fran (Hansen)
Nina (Krotov)
Franklin (Pyrrson)
Demetrios (Kuchera)
Theodosios (Palis)
Theodora (Webb)
Robert (Smith)
Presbytera Rosy (in Pakistan)
James (Hord)
Vassiliki (Kontinos)
Vassiliki (Morekeas)
Vassilike (Hord)
Founders, Members, Benefactors and Friends Departed this Life
John (Hansen)
Anatoly (Kurdsjuk)
Thareni (Brooks)
Milan Evanoff
Jean (Sam)
Eleni (Pearson)
Richard (Pearson)
Fr. Stephanos (Shagoury)
Panagiota (Bea Chionis)
Anthony (Mourgis)
Anthony (Mankus)
Constantine (Houpis)
Constantine (Joseph)
Mary (Jarvis)
Panagiota Margarita (Palis)
Maria (Ninos)
Soterios (Ninos)
George (Ninos)
John (Katsigianopoulos)
George (Chionis)
Mary (Spiropoulos)
Gregory (Pappas)
Angela (Coran K
Eugene (Rust)
Robert (Jarvis)
George (Corey)
Patricia (Cotsones)
Seraphim (Zolio)
Apostolos
How should we pray for the sick? Remember them daily. Say their names (first names are sufficient) and ask God to bestow mercy and grace on them.
Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time on the St. Peter website.
EPISTLE
For the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
God is known in Judah; His Name is great in Israel.
The Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (6:16-7:1)
Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from them, and be separate from them,” says the Lord, “and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.
GOSPEL
For the Seventeenth Sunday of Matthew
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew (15:21-28)
At that time, Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But He did not answer her one word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
