Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Thirteenth Sunday of Matthew
Leave-taking of the commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Alexander, Paul the New, and John, Patriarchs of Constantinople
The Beheading of St. John the Baptist Divine Liturgy Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 9:00am
Saint John the Baptist, also known as John the Forerunner, was a key prophetic figure who baptized Jesus Christ and prepared the way for Him. His beheading is a significant event recorded in the New Testament. The story begins with John publicly condemning Herod Antipas for his unlawful marriage to Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. This criticism led to John’s imprisonment.
At Herod’s birthday feast, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod. He promised to grant her any request. Guided by her mother Herodias, Salome asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. Although distressed, Herod complied with her demand. John’s head was presented to Salome and then given to Herodias. This event took place in Sebaste, Judea.
John’s disciples buried his body, but later, during the reign of Julian the Apostate, the body was burned. Despite this, relics of Saint John had already been dispersed to various locations. Herodias buried John’s head in the royal garden. According to tradition, the head was later revealed by John himself to two monks who were pilgrims in Jerusalem. The historian George Syncellus recounts that Salome met her demise when she fell through a crack in the ice of a frozen river, her head being severed by the ice—symbolic retribution for her role in John’s death.
Services and Events This Week
- SUN Aug 23 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Aug 26 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Thu Aug 27 — St Phanourios Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Aug 28 — St Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
- Sat Aug 29 — Beheading of St. John Baptist Divine Liturgy 9:00am LIVE STREAM
- Sat Aug 29 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
Liturgies This Week
Wednesday August 26 — Early Morning Liturgy 6:00am
Thursday August 27 — St. Phanourios 9:00am
Saturday August 29 — The Beheading of St. John the Baptist 9:00am
When You Give to the Good Samaritan Mercy Fund, You Fulfill the Law of Christ
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galations 6:2)
St. Paul teaches us that God’s law, to love God and neighbor, is fulfilled when we bear one another’s burdens. The Good Samaritan Mercy fund helps us do that by helping parishioners who because of catastrophic circumstances face problems that we can help them with. This year is proving greater than past years so any donation you can make to our fund enables us to carry those burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
All support is local, within our parish. Donations are approved by Fr. Hans and Ron Franklin our Parish Council President. Donations remain confidential.
St. John Chrysostom says those who can give receive their abundance from God in order to give. When we give from our abundance a double blessing occurs — one to the recipient in need, and another to him who gives.
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 Greeters
Can you volunteer? Please call Joe Repya 612-270-4443.
SUNDAY COFFEE HOURS
Please note: A fruit bowl, veggie or hummus tray may be added to a week’s menu.
August 2026 – Team #2 Vicki Ullemeyer Group
- Sunday, August 2 – Coffee and coffee cakes
- Sunday, August 9 – Coffee and muffins
- Sunday, August 16 – Coffee and bagel
- Sunday, August 23 – POT LUCK
- Sunday, August 30 – Coffee and donuts
September 2026 – Team #3
- Sunday, Sept 6 – Coffee and bagels
- Sunday, Sept 13 – Coffee and donuts
- Sunday, Sept 20 – POT LUCK
- Sunday, Sept 27 – Coffee and muffins
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!
AUGUST
- SUN Aug 23 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Aug 26 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Thu Aug 27 — St Phanourios Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Aug 28 — St Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
- Sat Aug 29 — Beheading of St. John Baptist Divine Liturgy 9:00am LIVE STREAM
- Sat Aug 29 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
- SUN Aug 30 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Sep 01 — Indiction/St Symeon Divine Liturgy 9:00am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Sep 02 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
- Fri Sep 04 — St Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
- Sat Sep 05 — Zachariah and Elizabeth Divine Liturgy 9:00am LIVE STREAM
- Sat Sep 05 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
Wisdom From The Elders
Since the Resurrection of the Lord is the ever-present event by which He enters into unlimited Communion with all mankind, we can conclude that this same mystery should become a concrete reality within the sphere of our social life. His Beatitude, Patriarch IGNATIUS IV
When someone has a vice we should try to bombard him with rays of love and compassion so that he may be cured and freed. These things are achieved only through the grace of God. Think that this person is suffering more than you. In a coenobitic monastery when someone is at fault we should not tell him that he is to blame. We must adopt an attitude of care, respect and prayer. We must endeavour not to do anything harmful. When we endure insults from our brother, it counts as martyrdom. And it is something we should endure with joy. Elder Porphyrios
God is everywhere. You decide if you are close to him or not. St. John Chrysostom
Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility. Elder Thaddeus
Not only that: truth is truth; but if at some point you speak the truth without discernment, this is not truth. For example, it is true that so and so is mentally disturbed. But if you go and tell this truth you do not benefit anyone. Elder Paisios of Mount Athos
Prayers for Those in Need
Current Prayer List
Eve Helen
James (Franklin)
Anthea (Tuefel)
Anthony
RJ Schwegler (Breitenbach)
Sonya (Duskas)
Georgia (Katsigianopoulos)
Donna Eardley (Pateras)
Jack Eardley (Pateras)
Efstrathios Papadopoulos (Pateras)
Vera Pateras Stathes (Pateras)
Maureen (Breitenbach)
Doug (Kucera)
Katrina (Marianthi)
Katherina (Sovjani)
Arsen (Sovjani)
Arion (Sovjani)
David (Sovjani)
Joe (Repya)
Bp. Nicholas
Mary Teresa (Dusckas)
Adam (Krotov)
Ariyon (Sovjani)
Diana (Veraj)
Arjan (Veraj)
Thoma (Sovjani)
Lucia
Ioannes
Stratton (Leopold)
Mary (Copeland)
Robert (Tewis)
Gene (Forderhase)
Ruth (Mudd)
Barbara (Duskas)
Maria (Duskas)
Rachel (Voss)
Ken John (Eaton)
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)
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 (Hurley 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)
The People of Ukraine and People of Russia and all those who are suffering in the war
Permanent Prayer List
Kh. Denise (Breitenbach)
Fr. Patrick (Breitenbach)
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)
Kathy (Breitenbach)
Hope (Isadore)
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)
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 (Zeena)
Vassilike (Hord)
Helen (Mitchell)
Pangiota (Poulos)
Catherine (Forderhase)
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 Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
O Lord, how marvelous are Thy works.
In wisdom hast Thou made them all.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (16:13-24)
Brethren, be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, and be strong. Let all that
you do be done in love. Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to be subject to such men and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence; for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men. The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
GOSPEL
For the Thirteenth Sunday of Matthew
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (21:33-42)
The Lord spoke this parable: “There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’”
