St. Peter News November 28, 2023

Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Fourteenth Sunday of Luke

The Holy Prophet Zephaniah; Martyrs Agapios, Seleukos and Mamas;
Venerable Theodoulos, Eparch of Constantinople; Venerable Theodoulos of Cyprus

Who was the Prophet Zephaniah?

The Prophet Zephaniah (Sophonias) was a contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah and the Prophetess Oldama. He was from the tribe of Simeon, and was the ninth of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. The prophet lived at the royal court, where he preached repentance and helped King Josiah eliminate idol-worship.

He prophesied about the calamities that were to come for the people of Judea and the surrounding regions: Gaza, Ascalon, Crete, and against the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Ninevites.

Read the complete history on the Mystagogy website.

Services and Events This Week

• Sun Nov 26 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Nov 29 — Early Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Thu Nov 30 — St. Andrew the First Called Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 01 — St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
• Sat Dec 02 — St. Porphyrios Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM

Christmas Fast Continues

The Nativity Fast is one of the four Canonical Fasting Seasons in the Church year. This is a joyous fast in anticipation of the Nativity of Christ. That is the reason it is less strict than other fasting periods. The fast is divided into two periods. The 1st period is November 15th through December 19th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, fish, wine, and oil) is observed. There is dispensation given for wine and oil on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Similarly, fish, wine, and oil are permitted on Saturdays and Sundays.

The 2nd period is December 20th through 24th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, fish, wine, and oil) is observed. There is dispensation given for wine and oil only on Saturday and Sunday during this period.

Fasting always works in conjuction with prayer and giving alms (helping the poor, giving to worthy charities, etc.). Fasting helps us reorder the interior life, but the reordering does not occur with greater prayer and greater concern for the poor.

The reordering is a clarification — we end up seeing things more clearly, we get stronger in the fight against sin and temptation. The fast always ends on a great Feast Day of our Lord.

For a complete list, visit the Antiochian website or click on the image below:

Looking for Books About the Saints for Children?

Ancient Faith Publishing has an extensive series of books that are perfect for children. You can order them from Ancient Faith here.

St. Peter Adult Education: The Holy Things for the Holy

On Saturday, December 9, 2023 from 10:00am to 12:pm, Fr. Hans will overview of secularism in our lives and in the parish. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

Decades ago, Fr. Alexander Schmemann, formerly the President of St. Vladimir’s Seminary and a widely known theologian in America was able to locate one the most serious challenge facing Orthodoxy Christianity in America. That challenge was secularism, the idea that Orthodox Christianity was just another religion, instead of the road to God that offers transformation, healing, and hope.

Orthodoxy is not a religion. Orthodoxy is a way of life, a walking of the narrow road that reveals God to us and makes us fully human. If we have trouble seeing this, most likely it’s because we have adopted secular ideals and don’t even know it. This spills into our life, and if it spills into our life, it also spills into the Church. If that happens the Church ceases to become the true body of Christ. It just turns into another denomination.

Fr. Alexanders essay is posted on the website.

The meeting will also be available on ZOOM at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88061553942?pwd=5vjaGXtmhbEKGphW1twrW2A46JfBut.1

Parish Council Members: Please note that the Parish Council meeting will begin at 8:30am and conclude at 10:00am that morning. All members are required to attend.

Let's Pray the Paraklesis to the Theotokos Daily

Our goal at St. Peter’s is to have one person or family pray the Parakelsis to the Theotokos for at least one day of every month. For each day of the month, individuals or even an entire family can sign up to pray the Paraklesis in their homes on the day/s which they select.

Get more information on how to participate from the St. Peter's website.

Get more information here.

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

Only 62 spaces left so register early.

More information at DOMSE website.

ST. PETER'S GREETERS

DECEMBER 2023

DEC 3 Will Schwarz – Ray Locklear – George Tsikitas
DEC 10 Joe Repya – Ray Locklear
DEC 17 Candice Rosen – Ray Locklear
DEC 24 Will Schwarz – Candice Rosen
DEC 31 Moriah Peterson – Joe Repya

Can you volunteer? Please call Joe Repya 612-270-4443.

SOCIAL HALL ALL STARS

NOVEMBER 2023

TEAM #2 – Margie Zimmerman Group for November
Nov 5 –- Coffee, Cake and Mixed Fruit
Nov 12 –- Coffee, Bagels and Mixed Fruit
Nov 19 –- Coffee, Donuts and Mixed Fruit
Nove 26 –- Coffee, Cookies 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!

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER—DECEMBER

• Sun Nov 26 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Nov 29 — Early Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Thu Nov 30 — St. Andrew the First Called Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 01 — St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
• Sat Dec 02 — St. Porphyrios Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM

DECEMBER

• Sun Dec 03 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Mon Dec 04 — St. Barbara the Great Martyr Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Tue Dec 05 — St. Sava the Sanctified Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Dec 06 — Early St. Nicholas Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 08 — St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
• Sat Dec 09 — Parish Council Meeting 9:00am
• Sat Dec 09 — “The Holy Things for the Holy” Adult Education 10:00am LIVE STREAM

• Sun Dec 10 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Tue Dec 12 — St. Spyridon Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Dec 13 — Early Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 15 — CANCELLED St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm

• Sun Dec 17 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Tue Dec 19 — Paraklesis to the Theotokos 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Dec 20 — Early St. Ignatios of Antioch Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 22 — Paraklesis to the Theotokos 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 22 — St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm

• Sun Dec 17 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Tue Dec 19 — Paraklesis to the Theotokos 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Dec 20 — Early St. Ignatios of Antioch Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 22 — NATIVITY ROYAL HOURS 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 22 — St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm

• Sun Dec 24 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Sun Dec 24 — NATIVITY GREAT VESPERS 7:00pm LIVE STREAM
• Mon Dec 25 — THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Dec 27 — Early Divine Liturgy St. Stephen the Martyr 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Thu Dec 28 — Divine Liturgy 20,000 Martyrs Burned in Nicomedia 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 29 — Divine Liturgy The Holy Innocents 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 29 — St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm

DECEMBER/JANUARY

• Sun Dec 31 — SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY Orthros 8:30am Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Mon Jan 02 — St. Basil the Great / The Circumcision of Christ Divine Liturgy 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Wed Jan 03 — Early Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Jan 05 — THEOPHANY ROYAL HOURS 8:00am LIVE STREAM
• Fri Jan 05 — THEOPHANY DIVINE LITURGY / GREAT BLESSING OF THE WATERS Orthros 6:00pm Divine Liturgy 7:00pm LIVE STREAM
• Fri Dec 29 — CANCELLED St. Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm

Wisdom From The Elders

The Word of God must be understood as the holy fathers understood it, as the Orthodox Church understands it, and not as we ourselves might wish. Priest Daniel Sysoev

What we gain from fasting does not compensate for what we lose through anger. Our profit from scriptural reading in no way equals the damage we cause ourselves by showing contempt for a brother. We must practice fasting, vigils, withdrawal, and the meditation of Scripture as activities which are subordinate to our main objective, purity of heart, that is to say, love, and we must never disturb this principal virtue for the sake of those others. If this virtue remains whole and unharmed within us nothing can injure us, not even if we are forced to omit any of those other subordinate virtues. Nor will it be of any use to have practiced all these latter if there is missing in us that principal objective for the sake of which all else is undertaken. St. John Cassian

The chief thing is faith, or the spiritual vision of the Lord and the hope of receiving everything from Him, as the Most-merciful, the Most-true. This is the truth! This is from experience! Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt

Stablish in your heart the following truth: one thing alone is worthy of all our hatred— that is, sin or vice; and towards men nourish exclusively love. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt

Coming to understand the passions rightly is a critical need in the Christian life—and this is nowhere truer than in our present world, where the desires and impulses of the mind are often conceived of as good in themselves. Bishop Irenei Steenberg

• 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

George (Chionis 11-1)
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)
Barbara (Dusckas 3/23)
James (Dusckas 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 Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (5:8-19)

Brethren, walk as children of light—for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true—and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making.
melody to the Lord with all your heart.

GOSPEL

For the Fourteenth Sunday of Luke

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (18:35-43)

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.