St. Peter Christmas Pot Luck — Wednesday, December 19 at 6pm. Mark your calendar!
Mark you calendars for the St. Peter Christmas Pot Luck on Wednesday evening, December 19. It begins at 6pm.
It will be held at the community room of Dr. Zanos Grekos’ neighborhood. Directions will be sent in a separate email.
Come join the fellowship! A gentle reminder that since we are in a fasting period until Christmas we should avoid any meat items.
What is Christmas About?
St. Athanasius had an answer: “God became man so that man can become like God.”
It’s an audacious statement when you really think about it but it is also true. Our reference for who we are and what we are to become are not the apes or any other being in the creation. Instead, we are to look toward Christ — God who became a man and dwelt among us.
When God created man it tells us in Genesis, he took the dust of the ground and breathed into it and “man became a living soul.” This narrative shows us that we share a resemblance with the rest of creation (the “dust” or created matter). Yet we differ from it too because no creature has the “breath” of God breathed into it. That is what sets man apart.
When a person discovers God, he also discovers his meaning and purpose. That is one reason why God became man. He came to restore the way to the Father, to show man he was created for God. When a man sees (really comprehends) that he was created for God, then his life can be infused with light. Change toward the good and better can happen.
Don’t Forget to Send in Your Stewardship Card!
Why do we need it? To responsibly plan for our future. If you don’t have one, you can print it here.
Parish Christmas Card
If you would like to be included in the parish Christmas Card, please contact Mary Copeland at 239-498-1331.
Sunday Scripture Readings
Epistle
Colossians 3:4-11 (29th Sunday after Pentecost)
O Lord, how magnificent are your works.
You have made all things in wisdom.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The Reading is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians
BRETHREN, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them.
But now put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.
Gospel
Luke 14:16-24 (11th Sunday of Luke)
The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses.
The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master.
Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, ‘none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”