The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Tenth Sunday of Matthew
Return of the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew; Holy Apostle Titus of The Seventy; Archbishops Menas, Epiphanios, Gennadios and John of Constantinople
What is the Return of the Relics of the Apostle Bartholomew from Anastasiopolis to Lipari?
The Transfer of the Relics of the Apostle Bartholomew took place at the end of the sixth century. His apostolic activity and martyr’s end are remembered by the Church on June 11. The Apostle Bartholomew suffered for Christ in Armenian Albanus (now Baku) in the year 71, where his holy relics were. Numerous miracles occurred from the relics of the holy Apostle, and many of the unbelieving were converted to Christ. Under the emperor Anastasius (491-518) the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew were transferred into the newly constructed city of Anastasiopolis (or Dura) and remained there until the end of the sixth century.
When the city of Anastasiopolis was captured by the Persian emperor Chozroes, Christians took up the chest with the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew and fled with it to the shores of the Black Sea. Having overtaken them, pagan priests threw the chest with the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew into the sea. Four other chests containing the relics of the holy Martyrs Papian, Lucian, Gregory and Acacius were also thrown into the sea.
By the power of God the chests did not sink into the depths of the sea, but miraculously floated upon the waves and reached Italy. The chest with the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew came to land at the island of Lipari, and the remaining chests continued their journey and came to land at various places in Italy. The chest with the relics of the Martyr Papian halted at Sicily, the Martyr Lucian at Messina, the Martyr Gregory at Calabria, and the Martyr Acacius at Askalon.
The arrival of the relics of the holy Apostle Bartholomew was revealed to Bishop Agathon of the island of Lipari, who went with clergy to the shores of the sea, took the chest from the waters and solemnly transferred it to church.
Myrrh flowed from the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew, healing people of various illnesses. The holy relics remained in the church of the island of Lipari until the middle of the ninth century when the island was captured by pagans. Christian merchants took up the holy relics of the Apostle Bartholomew and transferred them to the city of Beneventum, near Naples, where they were received with great veneration and placed in the main church of the city.
Source: Orthodox Church of America website.
Two Upcoming Liturgies
Tuesday, August 27 – St. Phanourios at 9:30am
The holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr Phanourios (also Fanurius, Fanourios, Phanurius, Phanourius) the Newly Appeared of Rhodes, the Miracle-Worker, is commemorated by the Church on August 27. There is no literature available in the church prior to discovering his little church in Rhodes so not much is known about St. Phanourios’s life other than the images of his martyrdom on his icon.
In the Church we have the tradition of patron saints. St. Phanourios has become famous for assisting the faithful in revealing lost or hidden spiritual matters of the heart, objects, directing or revealing actions that should be taken, restoring health and similar situations. He is then honored by the faithful through a symbolic cake, called the “Phanouropita” which can be brought to the church, at any time, for a blessing.
We will celebrate the Liturgy for St. Phanourios on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 9:30am.
Read more about St. Phanourios on the OrthodoxWiki website.
Thursday, August 29 – Beheading of St. John the Baptist at 9:30am
We will celebrate the Liturgy of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist on Thursday, August 29, 2018 starting at 9:30am. Why celebrate this important day? Because when we celebrate the liturgies of important Saints, their presence and power becomes more evident in our Church.
Men: Join AMEN
AMEN is growing in the Miami Diocese, very fast actually, and there is a lot of good energy behind it. Fr. Hans has been appointed the Spiritual Advisor to the group by Bp. Nicholas. Steve Breitenbach is our local president.
What will AMEN do? It will bring together the men of the parish for friendship, fellowship, and work.
St. Peter’s Men:
- SIGN UP for the AMEN Newsletter. Send an email to: AMEN Newsletter
- JOIN AMEN on the GroupMe app (IOS and Android): Instructions on the St. Peter website.
- Visit the AMEN YouTube page.
A Thank You From Mihail Strezev
Dear Parishioners of St. Peter’s,
I would like to express my deep gratitude to St. Peter’s Church, to its community, and to Fr. Hans for being with me all the time of my living here, for the spiritual and material support that I needed, to enable me to go and study at the Eastman School of Music.
I become of a beautiful family that helped me go through a very difficult time in my life. Thank you all for your prayers and your trust in my talent!
I am going far away but I will always be part of our family and will be coming back to see you whenever it is possible.
With much love,
Mihail
A Note From Fr. Hans — Be Missionaries
Mihail wrote a beautiful note above. What many do not realize is that he found St. Peter’s when running into Jeremiah and Irina at Starbucks. Jeremiah and Irina met him, and after conversation invited Mihail to St. Peter’s. Mihail came and St. Peter’s became a family to him. He was going through a very difficult time and God brought him here to help him.
What would have happened if Jeremiah and Irina were not missionary minded, if they would have not perceived Mihail’s need and neglected to mention how God can help him and how he needed to come to the Church? Most likely Mihail would not have found the Church and his difficulties would have continued.
It’s an audacious thing to say but in a way our Lord relies on us. Often we are the messengers, the point of contact between our Lord and people searching for Him. If we don’t do our job, what needs to get done does not get done.
Jeremiah and Irina went to Starbucks not knowing that Mihail would enter their lives, and through them Mihail would enter the Church. Mihail did not know that the Church would help him sort things out, encourage him, and make his path more clear. That’s why the Lord him to Jeremiah and Irina. That’s how it works.
Be missionaries. Be open to people entering your life who are looking for God, which is to say they are also looking for clarity, stability, understanding, real friendship, meaning — all the necessary constituents that give our lives the life we yearn for and that have their source in God.
If we are open in the way Jeremiah and Irena were, then the Lord will bring people to us like He brought Mihail to them. That is how the vision of St. Peter’s that it becomes a home for anyone seeking God (a vision that comes from our Lord Himself) will be fulfilled.
Pledge Report – July 2019
In order to meet our operating Budget goal for 2019 we need to take in $16,777.00 each month.
In June we took in $9741.00 in total donations. Our monthly goal is $16777.00 leaving us $7036.00 short for June.
Please pledge in order to meet our goal. Pledge forms are available on the table in the narthex.
Bible Studies
Bible Studies have been cancelled for the summer. We will resume in September.
Calendar At A Glance
- Tue Aug 27 — St. Phanourios Divine Liturgy 9:30am
- Thu Aug 29 — Beheading of St. John the Baptist Divine Liturgy 9:30am
- Fri Aug 30 — Parish Council Meeting 2:30pm
SEPTEMBER
- Thu Sep 5 — Joachim and Anna Divine Liturgy 9:30am
- Thu-Sat Sep 5-7 — Fr. Hans Out of Town (Diocese Conference)
- Mon Sep 23 — Conception of St. John Baptist Divine Liturgy 9:30am
- Thu Sep 26 — Apostle John Divine Liturgy 9:30am
Wisdom From The Elders
Our strength, our soul, is invisible; the soul of animals is also invisible; in plants also, their strength, their life, is invisible; the whole material world exists and is moved by an invisible power Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
Do not merely not care for pleasures and fine things, but do not even care for your own sinful flesh; for by the slightest attachment to all these things you anger God. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
Let us love that fasting of the soul which, by the cooperation of the Spirit, doth wither the grievous passions and doth strengthen us to do godly deeds, and doth uplift our mind towards Heaven, and doth obtain our sins’ forgiveness, grant unto us by the compassionate God. Triodion, Monday Vespers of the Third Week
Wherefore on no account suffer any evil habit to master thee; but, while it is yet young, pluck the evil root out of thine heart, lest it fasten on and strike root so deep that time and labor be required to uproot it. St John Damascene
Sometimes, however, the evil enemy increases his burden tenfold, and then they become terribly despondent and fainthearted, they murmur and blaspheme God’s name. The usual means that men of our time take to drive away their anguish are—entertainments, cards, dancing, and theatres. But such means afterwards increase still more the anguish and weariness of their hearts. If, happily, they turn to God, then the burden is removed from their heart. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
The life of man on this planet is an enormous drama. Here, the temporal and the eternal worlds continually clash, the mortal and the immortal, the good and the evil, the things of the Devil and the things of the Lord. Venerable Justin (Popovic) of Chelije in Serbia
Remember in Your Prayers
Anastasios (B. Hord)
Alan L (B Duskcas)
Charles (Oberg)
Christine (Kouzes)
Nina (Kovalev)
Hugh (Jacquie)
Violet (Jacquie Mom)
Tammie (Jacquie friend)
Phillip
Connie
Baby Luke
George
Priest Kyprianos
Savannah (Jonson)
Bud
Silvana
Nicole
Evan
Megan
Bill R.
Pat R.
Aglaia
George
Hieromonk Serapion
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
Tom
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 Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (4:9-16)
Brethren, God has exhibited us Apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. Weare weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill clad and buffeted and homeless; and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off scouring of all things.
I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ,you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Gospel
For the Tenth Sunday of Matthew
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (17:14-23)
At that time, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before Him said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to Thy disciples,and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation,how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus said to them, “Because you have no faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. This kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting.”
As they were traveling together through Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day.”?The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom continues as usual.
