Thirty-second Sunday of Pentecost
Fifteenth Sunday of Luke (“Zacchaeus”)
Venerable Xenophon, his wife, Mary, and their two sons, Arkadios and John, of Constantinople; Translation of the relics of Venerable Theodore the Studite
The Sunday of Zacchaeus
The Apostle Zacchaeus was a rich publican at Jericho. Since he was short of stature, he climbed a sycamore tree in order to see the Savior passing by. After the Ascension of the Lord, St. Zacchaeus accompanied St. Peter on his travels. Tradition says he followed St. Peter to Caesarea, where Peter appointed him the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine. He died in peace.
The Sunday of Zacchaeus is also the first warning that Lent is around the corner. It is time to prepare ourselves for the coming of Lent. Start thinking about it now.
Read the complete story on the Orthodoxwiki website.
Services and Events This Week
- SUN Jan 19 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- SUN Jan 19 — Parish Assembly Meeting Following Divine Liturgy
- Wed Jan 22 — Early Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Jan 24 — Men of St. Paisios 7:00pm
- Sat Jan 25 — GREAT VESPERS 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
Save the Date! St Peter’s Annual Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance, February 15, 2025!
Join Us on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 from 5pm-9pm for the Saint Peter Annual Valentine Day Dinner Dance in our church Fellowship Hall
Enjoy a delicious Dinner and fun Dancing with your fellow parishioners. BYOB if you like.
Sign up early—SEATING IS LIMITED! The signup sheet is located by the door of our Fellowship Hall.
Ladies, if you would like to offer a SWEET TREAT, please see Tina Kucera, Rose Ghanem, Cheryl Morse, Elaine Seremetis, Sophia Brubaker and Photini Peterson for details.
Our parish is blessed with such CULTURALLY DIVERSITY. So we invite you to share music from your culture for all to enjoy. Simply contact Tina in advance.
No Tickets Will Be Sold; Your Donation from the Heart is Appreciated!
RSVP No Later than February 9, please. Questions? Call Tina at 239.980.1520
House and Business Blessings
Fr. Hans will be available for house and business blessings. January is a very busy month however so some blessing may be scheduled into February. Please text him to schedule.
Catechumen Classes Resume in January
Reminder: These classes are required for all catechumens. If you cannot make please make sure to let Subdeacon Joseph know.
The class is taught by Subdeacon Joseph and we will use the book “Small Steps into the Kingdom”). The books are available for purchase in the bookstore.
Pledge and Income Report — December 2024
Contributions received in December were $40,437
Amount of money needed to cover expenses: $31,105.
For the month we are ahead by $9,332.
Year to date we are behind by $11,268.
St. Peter Orthodox Church
7470 Hickory Drive
Fort Myers FL 33967
Supporting Our Sister Parish St. Paul’s Naples
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.
ST. PETER’S GREETERS
Please note: Volunteers to serve as greeters are needed for December. Please contact Joe Repya if you can serve.
JANUARY
- Sun January 05 – Will Schultz – George Tsikitas
- Sun January 12 – Paula Kamberos – Candice Rosen
- Sun January 19 – Pavlo Bilych – Will Schultz
- Sun January 26 – Tina Kucera – Doug Kucera
Can you volunteer? Please call Joe Repya 612-270-4443.
SOCIAL HALL ALL STARS
SUNDAY COFFEE HOURS – Winter Months 2024 – 2025
Please note: A fruit bowl, veggie or hummus tray may be added to a week’s menu.
- January 2025 – Sunday Coffee Hours – Team #1 – Barb Dionysopoulos Group
- Sunday, January 5 – Coffee and muffins
- Sunday, January 12 – Coffee and donuts
- Sunday, January 19 – Coffee and coffee cakes
- Sunday, January 26 – Coffee and bagels
- February 2025 – Sunday Coffee Hours – Team #2 – Margie Zimmerman Group
- Sunday, February 2 – Coffee and muffins
- Sunday, February 9 – Coffee and donuts
- Sunday, February 16 – Coffee and coffee cakes
- Sunday, February 23 – Coffee and bagels
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
- SUN Jan 19 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- SUN Jan 19 — Parish Assembly Meeting Following Divine Liturgy
- Wed Jan 22 — Early Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Jan 24 — Men of St. Paisios 7:00pm
- Sat Jan 25 — GREAT VESPERS 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
- SUN Jan 26 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Jan 28 — Sat Feb 01 — Fr. Hans at DOMSE Clergy Mtg/ Retreat
- Wed Jan 29 — CANCELLED
Early Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM - Fri Jan 31 — CANCELLED
Men of St. Paisios 7:00pm - Sat Feb 01 — CANCELLED
GREAT VESPERS 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
Wisdom From The Elders
Awareness of sin is a result of love and humility, while unawareness is a result of pride and hardness of heart.
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
The more a man leads the spiritual life, the more he becomes is spiritualised: he begins to see God in everything; the manifestation of His power and might in everything; he sees himself always and everywhere abiding in God, and depending from God even in the smallest matters. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
Therefore, whether you call upon the Lord Himself, or His Mother, or the angels, or saints, call upon them with all your heart; whether you pray for anyone living or departed, pray for them with your whole heart, pronouncing their names with heartfelt fervor. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
Man is placed on the road between paradise and hell, between God and Satan. Every thought and reflection of man, and every feeling of this, brings the soul one step closer to paradise or one step closer to hell. Venerable Justin (Popovic) of Chelije in Serbia
Therefore be sure that every prayer that is not fulfilled is certainly harmful; but a prayer that is answered is beneficial. The Giver of gifts is just and good and will not leave your prayers unanswered, for in His goodness there is no malice and in His truth there is no envy. Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
The only feeling that is left in me now is joy—an ineffable joy has taken over my entire being.” I told him that he had been given the gift of Grace and that he would have it for as long as he could keep his thoughts away from the cares of this world. If he were to do that [i.e., return his thought to the cares of the world], I told him, he would stop hearing the words of the Jesus Prayer in his heart, and then the joy and peace would gradually disappear from his heart. Elder Thaddeus(Strabulovich) of Vitovnica
Current Prayer List
Ariyon (Sovjani)
Diana (Veraj)
Arjan (Veraj)
Thoma (Sovjani)
Lucia
Ioannes
Freida (Hansen)
Stratton (Leopold)
Mary (Copeland)
Robert (Tewis)
Gene (Forderhase)
Ruth (Mudd)
Barbara (Duskas)
Doug S (Duskas)
Marc C. (Duskas)
Rachel (Voss)
Ken John (Eaton)
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)
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)
Archpriest Dionysius (Valentine 9/12)
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
Bonnie Joseph
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
Raymond
40 Days
Lori (Pateras Jan3)
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.
Sunday Readings
EPISTLE
For the Thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost
The Lord will give strength to His people.
Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of God; ascribe to the Lord honor and glory.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy. (4:9-15)
Timothy, my son, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, Who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you. Practice these duties; devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.
GOSPEL
For the Fifteenth Sunday of Luke — “Zacchaeus”
The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (19:1-10)
At that time, Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see Who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus, for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”
