Scripture Reading for Sunday: Peter Walks on Water
The scripture reading for Sunday tells the story of Peter walking on water. For St. Peter’s parish, the reading has special significance because we are named St. Peter’s and we have the beautiful wooden icon depicting the scene.
Like so many of the stories of Christ’s work in the Holy Scriptures, there are many layers of meaning contained within it. We will hear some of them in the sermon on Sunday.
One good sermon to read on your own is by St. John Chrysotom, a Church Father of Orthodoxy and easily one of the best interpreters of scripture that ever lived. You can find it here.
Note too this icon:
This icon, a mosaic, served as the model for the wood icon at St. Peter’s. All icons have rules to be followed and you will see similarities between the mosaic and the icon at St. Peter’s parish.
To learn how our wood icon was crafted, read the essay written by Jonathan Pageau, the artisan who created it on the Orthodox Arts Journal website.
Interfaith Charities Need a Little More Spaghettios and Spaghetti Sauce
Our drive this week was very good but a little more will go a longer way. Interfaith Charities asked us to extend it for a week and we said yes. This is what we have contributed so far:
Interfaith Charities is a local agency that St. Peter’s partners with to help working poor families and needs spaghetti sauce (Ragu type) and Spaghettios to help feed underprivileged kids. They do not need spaghetti
St. Peter’s helps IC at crunch time. Last month we supplied over 90lbs of peanut butter and jelly when the call came out.
Please bring your donation to Church. We will be sure it gets to IC.
Receive the Daily Readings in your Inbox
You can read the daily scripture readings in two ways:
- Follow the calendar on the website, or
- Have them delivered to your inbox by signing up (scroll to bottom of page).
You can also download apps for your mobile device for daily readings.
Reading scripture is important. Our hearts have to be purified but so do our minds. Holy Scripture contains what our Lord wants us to know and understand. It shapes how we think, and how we think is how we see the world. Read scripture and the eyes of our mind will open to see Jesus Christ working around us more clearly.
Register Your Children for Sunday School
Sunday School begins September 11, 2016 — the first Sunday after Labor Day and parents need to register their children!
You can register you child in three ways:
- Fill in the registration online on the website or…
- Download and print the registration form, fill it in and bring it to Church or…
- During Social Hall on Sundays.
Please register early. Sunday School is growing and we need to plan. It is only about 7 weeks away.
Choir practice on Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Choir practices begins at 6:00pm
Bible Study on Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Bible Study begins at 7:00pm
Wisdom from the Elders
God comes into our lives when we invite Him with all our being, opening the gates of our heart from the inside. He will not come uninvited.
The moment you are willing to give over your whole self to God- surrendering your life, your loved ones, your health, your victories and defeats- He will come to you and help you in ways you never dreamed possible.
—Fr. Vojislav Dosenovich
Slander is, an offspring of hatred, a subtle yet coarse disease, a leech lurking unfelt, wasting and draining the blood of love. It is, simulation of love, the patron of a heavy and unclean heart, the ruin of chastity.
—St. John Climacus
To love Christ -means not to be a hireling, not to look upon a noble life as an enterprise or trade, but to be a true benefactor and to do everything only for the sake of love for God.
—St John Chrysostom
The way of humility is this: self-control, prayer, and thinking yourself inferior to all creatures.
—Abba Thithoes
Those who live in obedience are strangers to love of money.
—St. John Climacus
The spiritual land of a man pure in soul is within him. The sun which shines in it is the light of the Holy Trinity.
—St. Isaac the Syrian
Prayer List on the St. Peter website
The Prayer List is now available on the St. Peter website. You can add or remove names using the form provided. More important is that you can print out the names periodically to keep on your family altar or near your icons and bible and reference the names whenever you pray.
Remember in Your Prayers
Gerhard Kuring (Bettina Zifiris’ father)
Ron Chromulak
Beverly Chromulak
Katerina
Dianne
Loucine Kassis
Mary Kassis
Baby Maximus
Annette Star
Christine
Maria
Claire Livaditis
Eva Chandilles
Baby Dani
Scott Nedoff
Maria Karela
Anthony Mourgis
John Hansen
Constandina James
James Hord
Bob Smith
Tom and Jean, parents of Patty and Jerry.
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 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Make vows to the Lord thy God and perform them.
In Judah God is known; His Name is great in Israel.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (3:9-17)
Brethren, we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Gospel
For the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (14:22-34)
At that time, Jesus made the Disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the Disciples’ boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”
And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is Thee, bid me come to Thee on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly, Thou art the Son of God.” And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.