The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
The Eleventh Sunday of Matthew
Leave Taking of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Martyr Lupus, servant of the Great-Martyr Demetrios; Hieromartyr Irenaios, Bishop of Lyons; Venerable Nicholas and Dionysios of Olympus
What is an Afterfeast and Leave-Taking?
An Afterfeast is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Orthodox Christian and Eastern Catholic Churches (somewhat analogous to what in the West would be called an Octave).
The celebration of the Great Feasts of the church year are extended for a number of days, depending upon the particular Feast. Each day of an Afterfeast will have particular hymns assigned to it, continuing the theme of the Feast being celebrated. At each of the divine services during an Afterfeast, the troparion and kontakion of the feast are read or chanted.
Most of these Great Feasts also have a day or more of preparation called a Forefeast (those Feasts that are on the moveable Paschal Cycle do not have Forefeasts). Forefeasts and Afterfeasts will affect the structure of the services during the Canonical Hours.
The last day of an Afterfeast is called the Apodosis or Leave-Taking (Ancient Greek for “leave-taking”, lit. “giving-back”) of the Feast. On the Apodosis, most of the hymns that were chanted on the first day of the Feast are repeated. On the Apodosis of Feasts of the Theotokos, the Epistle and Gospel from the day of the Feast are repeated again at the Divine Liturgy.
Welcome Angelina Maria into the World!
Congratulations to Carmine and Lilly Riccioli on the birth of their baby daughter! Angelina Maria was born mid-morning on Monday, August 17, 2002 and weighed in at 7lbs 3oz. Mom, dad, and baby are doing fine.
Pledge & Income Report – July 2020
Donations received in July: $23,531.00
Amount of money needed to cover expenses: $18,167.00
We are ahead by $5,364.00
Please note:Thank you for your response to our July Appeal Letter. Please continue your generous support as the summertime is always a difficult time for us financially. If you cannot make it to church please mail in your donation to:
St. Peter Orthodox Church
24850 Old 41 Road Suite 6
Bonita Springs, FL 34135
You can also donate online (scroll to bottom of page):
NEW* Byzantine Chant Workshop Resume Tuesday August 18, 2020 (tonight) at 7:00pm
Led by Dn. Nicholas Reid of St. Paul Orthodox Church, participants will learn the basics of the tone of the week — its characteristics, scale, and various forms — and will get a chance to participate in group practice.
No prior chanting experience is required.
This will also be an opportunity to deepen our Orthodox faith by better understanding the role each tone plays in liturgical worship so that we can apply them more fruitfully in our parish life as well as in the worship of the “Little Church” – our own homes.
All lessons will be held at St. Paul Orthodox Church in Naples (get directions).
Bishop NICHOLAS Offers a Weekly Live Stream
These are short thirty minute presentations where His Grace Bp. Nicholas speaks on one theme in Sunday readings for fifteen minutes followed by questions from the listeners. It’s worth tuning in. Get instructions on the St. Peter website on how to use the Band App on your phone or computer to participate.
Calendar At A Glance
AUGUST
- Sun Aug 16 — Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Aug 18 — CANCELLED Byzantine Chant Workshop at St. Paul Naples 7:00pm
- Fri Aug 21 — Parish Council Meeting 3:30pm
- Sun Aug 23 — Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Aug 25 — CANCELLED Byzantine Chant Workshop at St. Paul Naples 7:00pm
- Sat Aug 29 — BEHEADING OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Sun Aug 30 — Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
SEPTEMBER
- Tue Sep 1 — ST. SYMEON THE STYLITE / START OF ECCLESIASTICAL NEW YEAR Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Sat Sep 5 — STS. ZACHARIAH AND ELIZABETH Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Sun Sep 6 — Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Tue Sep 8 — NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Sep 9 — THE HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS ANCESTORS OF THE LORD JOACHIM AND ANNA Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Sun Sep 13 — Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Mon Sep 14 — ELEVATION OF THE CROSS Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Sep 16 — ST. EPHEMIA Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Sun Sep 20 — Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Wed Sep 23 — CONCEPTION OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
- Sun Sep 24 — Orthros 8:30am / Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
Wisdom From The Elders
Without having freed itself from the world, the soul cannot love God sincerely. For worldly things, in the words of St. Antioch, are as it were a veil for the soul. St. Seraphim of Sarov
And conversely: if a man considers himself a believer, and has no misfortunes or illnesses, then this, according to the holy fathers, is a sign that he has not found favor with the Lord. Abbot Nikon Vorobiev
One must force himself to prayer when he has not spiritual prayer; and thus God, beholding him thus striving and compelling himself by force, in spite of an unwilling heart, gives him the true prayer of the Spirit. St. Macarius the Great
There is a need, rather, to become good watchers of the heart, as well as the mind; to discern that which is good and fosters our prayer from that which rends it from us. This is the spiritual labor of disciplined prayer, and is the preparation by which we draw near to God. Bishop Irenei Steenberg
Orthodoxy is life. If we don’t live Orthodoxy, we simply are not Orthodox, no matter what formal beliefs we might hold. Fr. Seraphim Rose
You become despondent and lost at the least temptation. The Lord allows this to happen so that you might discover your weakness and understand how much lies hidden in a person’s soul, and that labor is necessary in order to cleanse oneself of passions, to become the temple of the Living God and to achieve salvation. Abbot Nikon Vorobiev
Remember in Your Prayers
The Prayer List has been revamped. To bring order to the list we will do the following:
- Names will remain on the list for two 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 (Updated August 15 / Resets October 1)
Douglas (Dusckas 10/22)
Dylan (Dusckas 10/22)
Mason (Dusckas 10/22)
Sophia (Irina 10/22)
Nicholas (Zeena 10/22)
Ruthann (Zeena 10/22)
Charles Timothy (Wolfe 10/22)
Sergio (Mary Kazakos10/22)
Libby Ann (Riccioli 10/22)
Andrea (Sarros 10/22)
Basil (Sarros 10/22)
Margaret (Sarros 10/22)
Susan (Wolffe 9/20)
Grant [Van Berkom] (Zeena 9/20)
Barbara (Dusckas 9/20)
John (Troutman 9/20)
Dave (Dusckas 9/20)
Constandina (Stephania 9/20)
Steven (Breitenbach 9/20)
Irini (Tsikitas 9/20)
Lori (Dusckas 8/20)
Patricia (Copeland 8/20)
Demetrios (Copeland 8/20)
Efstathios (Mourgis 8/20)
Permanent Prayer List
Stamatia (Evelyn)
Demetrios (Kuchera)
Margaret (Palis)
Theodosios (Palis)
Theodora (Webb)
Helen (Rogers)
Robert (Smith)
Robert (Jarvis)
Mary (Jarvis)
Presbytera Rosy (in Pakistan)
James (Hord)
Ann (Rellis)
Vassiliki (Kontinos)
Vassiliki (Morekeas)
Bud (Repya)
Founders, Members, and Benefactors 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)
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 Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
The Lord is my strength and my song.
The Lord has chastened me severely.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (9:2-12)
Brethren, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake?
It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ.
Gospel
For the Eleventh Sunday of Matthew
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (18:23-35)
The Lord spoke this parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
