St. Peter Newsletter February 18, 2020

Sunday of the Last Judgment

Hieromartyr Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna; Venerable Gorgonia, sister of Gregory the Theologian; Venerable Zebinas, Polychronios, Moses and Damian near Cyrrhus in Syria; Venerable Damian of Esphigmenou monastery on Mount Athos

The parable of the Last Judgment is about Christian love. Not all of us are called to work for “humanity,” yet each one of us has received the gift and the grace of Christ’s love.

We know that all persons ultimately need this personal love—the recognition in them of their unique soul in which the beauty of the whole creation is reflected in a unique way.

We also know that people are in prison and are sick and thirsty and hungry because that personal love has been denied them.

And, finally, we know that however narrow and limited the framework of our personal existence, each one of us has been made responsible for a tiny part of the Kingdom of God, made responsible by that very gift of Christ’s love. Thus, on whether or not we have accepted this responsibility, on whether we have loved or refused to love, shall we be judged.

Read more on the Greek Orthodox website.

Fr. Hans Out of Town Wednesday through Friday, February 19-21, 2020

In case of pastoral emergency, please contact Fr. Paul Girgis at 509-845-4540.

Mark Your Calendar: Lenten Community Luncheon March 12 at Noon

Community Luncheons are starting up! Barbara and Kosta Dionysopoulos are hosting the next Community Luncheon on Thursday, March 12 starting at noon. Appropriate lenten fare will be served.

Our seniors in particular love these gathers. Please let Barbara D. know if you can attend.

Greek School Schedule

St. Peter Orthodox Church Greek School with Eleni Stamelou.

PLEASE NOTE: Children’s Beginner Greek now starts at 5:30pm.

• Child Beginners meet on Tuesday evenings from January 28 to March 24 at 5:30pm
• Adult Beginners meet on Wednesday evenings from January 29 to March 25 at 5:30pm.
• Adult Intermediate/Conversational meet on Wednesday evenings from January 29 to March 25 at 4:30pm.

Thank you to Tina Kucera and Crew for the Successful Valentine’s Day Party

Thank you to Tina Kucera, Chairwoman of the the St. Peter Valentine Day Party along with her crew for their work organizing and executing the Valentine’s Day “Love Around the World” event on February 15, 2002.

Bp. Nicholas Visiting St. Peter’s on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 5:00pm

Bp. Nicholas will be making an Archpastoral visit to St. Peter’s on Sunday, February 23 at 5:00pm.

We will begin the evening with Vespers and then have a light supper in the Social Hall where he will greet us and give us his encouragement. Bp. Nicholas is a hands-on bishop, caring of his priests and parishes and this is a good opportunity to get to know him better, and let him get to know us.

We need to make a good showing when he visits. Please come for Vespers that evening, even if you came to Liturgy that morning. The Church needs good bishops to flourish and Bp. Nicholas is a good bishop.

Women of St. Peter’s: Women’s Retreat On Saturday, March 14, 2020

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE

The Women of St. Peter hosts the annual Lenten Retreat at St. Peter’s on Saturday, March 7. Fr. Alexis Kouri of St. Philip’s Orthodox Church in Davie, Florida, is the guest speaker.

If you can help with the event, please contact Mary Copeland or Nancy Forderhase to volunteer.

Please plan to attend this one day retreat. We want to support this effort with a strong showing from the Women of St. Peter’s. A $10 contributionwill pay for the food expenses.

Please sign up on Sundays or RSVP to Mary Copeland at 239-298-1730 or Nancy Forderhase at 859-749-9509.

Our Stewardship to St. Peter’s

The letter for Stewardship Support of St. Peter’s in 2020 has been sent.

We are responsible to increase what God has given us. In the Parable of the Talents, the master gave his servants talents that they are expected to nurture and grow. This is a responsibility we cannot avoid.

The Church is both a place where the increase begins on the inside of us, and to which we much give some our increase. This too is a responsibility we must take on.

A contribution form will be included in the letter you receive. Our goal this year is $217,000.

Upcoming Liturgies

Saturday of the Souls on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 9:30am

Saturday of the Souls on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 9:30am

Pledge & Income Report – January 2020

Giving in January was $26,846.00. Our monthly goal to make our 2020 budget is $18,167.00. This leaves a surplus of $8,679.00. While this is good, we have to remember that we always have a good January because some people fulfill their yearly stewardship early.

We have received $140,000.00 in pledges towards our budget goal of $217,000. It’s not too late to sign a pledge card. Pledge cards are available in the Narthex or on St. Peter’s website.

Thank you to all of you who support Saint Peter’s.

Calendar At A Glance

February

• Tue Feb 18 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:30pm
• Wed Feb 19 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed Feb 5 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Sat Feb 22 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am
• Sun Feb 23 — Bishop Nicholas Pastoral Visit 6:00pm
• Tue Feb 25 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:30pm
• Wed Feb 26 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed Feb 5 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Sat Feb 29 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am

March

• Sun March 1 — Forgiveness Vespers following Divine Liturgy 1:00pm
• Mon March 2 — Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew 6:30pm
• Tue March 3 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:30pm
• Tue March 3 — Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew 6:30pm
• Wed March 4 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed March 4 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Wed March 4 — Presanctified Liturgy 6:30pm
• Thu March 5 — Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew 6:30pm
• Fri March 6 — First Stanza Salutations 6:30pm
• Tue March 10 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:30pm
• Wed March 11 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed March 11 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Thu March 12 — Lenten Community Luncheon 12:00pm
• Sat Mar 14 — Sts. Peter/Paul Women’s Retreat
• Tue March 17 — — Child Beginners Greek School 5:30pm
• Wed March 18 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed March 18 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Tue March 24 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:30pm
• Wed March 25 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed March 25 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm

Please note the extra remaining liturgies scheduled for January/February:

• Sat Feb 22 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am
• Sat-Sun Feb 22 — St. Paul (Naples) Founders Day
• Sun Feb 23 — Bp. Nicholas Visit to St. Peter’s 5:00pm
• Sat Feb 29 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am

March Lent Schedule

• Sun Mar 1 — Forgiveness Vespers following Divine Liturgy 1:00pm
• Mon Mar 2 — Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew 6:30pm
• Tue Mar 3 — Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew 6:30pm
• Wed Mar 4 — Presanctified Liturgy 6:30pm
• Thu Mar 5 — Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew 6:30pm
• Fri Mar 6 — First Stanza Salutations 6:30pm

See the entire Lenten Schedule on the St. Peter website.

Wisdom From The Elders

When someone is cursing, blaspheming, or being impudent, it is better to pretend to be busy and not listening and to say the Jesus Prayer. For, if he sees that you are paying attention to him, he may continue to curse all the more, and you can then become a cause for his demonic influence. If, however, one is not impudent but is conscientious and curses out of a bad habit, you can say something to him. If, again, one is conscientious but has a great deal of egoism, you must be careful not to speak sternly to him but, rather, you have to be as humble as you can and speak to him with pain. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos

In a word, a man who has acquired the Holy Spirit becomes totally renewed; he becomes different (here is the root of the wonderful Russian word for monk, inok—one who is “different”) in mind, heart and will. Abbot Nikon Vorobiev

In order to live spiritually and draw breath from grace, we must continually exhale the ashes of sin. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

St. Seraphim tells us: “It is easy to humble yourself before God, while to humble yourself before people is more difficult.” Indeed, it is precisely the ability or inability to humble ourselves before our neighbors that shows whether or not there is real repentance within us: whether or not we are walking along the right path of spiritual life. You must work on this. Bishop Photii of Traditza

It is preferable for a sensitive person to die once out of love in order to protect his neighbour, rather than be neglectful or cowardly and then to be constantly tormented by his conscience for the rest of his life. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos

The more days of fasting there are, the better the healing is; the longer the period of abstinence, the more abundant the gain of salvation is. Blessed Augustine

Remember in Your Prayers

Iakavos (Diveris)
Heriklia (Diveris)
Macy James
Joan (Breitenbach)
Mary (Rauch)
Diomidis (Kanellos)

Anastasia (Ann Constan)
Ben (Ben)
Thomas (Ben)
Irene (C. Diveris)
Vasiliki (C.Diveris)
Efrosini (C. diveris)
Charles (Oberg)
Christine (Kouzes)
Nina (Kovalev)
Hugh (Jacquie)
Violet (Jacquie Mom)
Tammie (Jacquie friend)
Phillip
Baby Luke
George
Savannah (Jonson)
Bud
Silvana
Nicole
Evan
Megan
Bill R.
Pat R.
Aglaia
George
Priest Kyprianos
Athanasia
Alexandra
Constantina
Maryanne (E)
Ron (E)
Tim
Robert (J)
Mary (J)
Patricia
Gregory
Andreas
Sofia Tešanovic
Paul
Dennis H. and Family
Victor Evan
Ann
James
Vasiliki
Efstratia
Alexandra
Nikos
Georgia
Ioannis
Costandino
Jeffrey
Vaso
Dave
Dimitri – Presbyter
Vassiliki
Octavio
Tom
Carl
Rena
Nikolay (5 year old boy in Bulgaria whose parents asked us to pray)
David
Rosie
Kathryn
Jeremy
Constantine
Robert
Jane
Theodora
David
Gina
Micheal
Haralambos
Lillian
Presbytera Rosy
Valentina
Eva W.
Barbara
Angela
Carol Ann
Matthew
Chrysostom
Tim
Pat
Christina
Maria Louise
Maximos
Marian
Photini
Nicholas
Sarah
Constantine Houpis
Anna Marie Smith Baker
Katerina
Mary Kassis
Baby Maximus
Christine
Maria
Annette Star
Claire Livaditis
Eva Chandilles
Baby Dani
Scott Nedoff
James Hord

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 Sunday of the Last Judgment

The Lord is my strength and my praise.
The Lord chastising hath chastised me, but He hath not delivered me over to death.

The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (8:8-9:2)

Brethren, food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care, lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one sees you—a man of knowledge—at table in an idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Gospel

For Sunday of the Last Judgment

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (25:31-46)

The Lord said, “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left.

Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’

Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed Thee, or thirsty and give Thee drink? And when did we see Thee a stranger and welcome Thee, or naked and clothe Thee? And when did we see Thee sick or in prison and visit Thee?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Then He will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”