The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
The Fifth Sunday of Matthew
The Righteous Fathers John of Edessa in Mesopotamia; Simeon of Homs (Emesa),The Fool-for-Christ; Parthenios, Bishop of Radovizlios; Martyr Victor of Marseilles
Saint Victor was a Roman army officer in Marseille, who publicly denounced the worship of idols. For that, he was brought before the Roman prefects, Asterius and Eutychius, who later sent him to the Emperor Maximian. He was then racked, beaten, dragged through the streets, and thrown into prison, where he converted three other Roman soldiers, Longinus, Alexander, and Felician, who were subsequently beheaded. After refusing to offer incense to a statue of the Roman god Jupiter, Victor kicked it over with his foot. The emperor ordered that he be put to death by being ground under a millstone, but the millstone broke while Victor was still alive. He was then beheaded.
Saint Victor and the three other Roman soldiers he converted – Saints Longinus, Alexander and Felician – were killed near the end of the 3rd century. In the 4th century, Saint John Cassian built a monastery over the site where their bodies had been buried in a cave, which later became a Benedictine abbey and minor basilica. This is the Abbey of St Victor (Abbaye Saint-Victor).
Saint Victor’s feast day, along with Saints Longinus, Alexander and Felician, is celebrated on July 21.
Source: Wikipedia website.
St. Peter’s Community Luncheon on Thursday, July 18, 2019 CANCELLED
PLEASE NOTE: The Community Luncheon has been cancelled. Barbara and Kosta Dionysopoulos are under the weather. We will resume next month.
Fr. Hans Our Town Monday, July 22 to Friday, July 26, 2018
He will be attending the Antiochian Convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Summers are Rough, St. Peter’s Needs Your Help
Summers are always a difficult time to pay our bills. Parishioners are up north, others are on vacation, and the real financial needs bubble up.
If we can’t make our monthly goals, the money has to come from somewhere else. Usually it’s a reserve like the building fund. We don’t want to do that but there is no other choice. The bills have to be paid.
The Parish Council recently send a out a letter explaining our situation. Please read it and respond at your earliest convenience.
The first five months have been good. Now we are falling behind. We respectfully ask everyone to remain current on their pledge, give more if you can, and help us keep St. Peter’s in the black.
Bp. Nicholas Outlines the Vision of the Newly Formed AMEN Group
Antiochian Men (AMEN), the new men’s group formed by Bp. Nicholas is off to a strong start. Recently Bp. Nicholas offered a short interview explaining his vision for AMEN. Click to view the video.
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 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.
Icons Available in the Social Hall
St. Peter’s has a large selection of Icons available for sale and donation. They come in various sizes — mini, small, medium and large.
The Icons are generously donated by Theo Palis and therefore all proceeds go directly to St. Peter’s.
If there is a specific icon you are looking for and we don’t have it, Theo might be able to make it for you.
Bible Studies
Bible Studies have been cancelled for the summer. We will resume in September.
Calendar At A Glance
JULY
- Thursday Jul 18 — CANCELLED St. Demetrios Brotherhood at 7:00pm
- Monday-Saturday, July 22-26 — Fr. Hans Out of Town Attending Antiochian Convention
- Thursday Jul 25 — CANCELLED St. Demetrios Brotherhood at 7:00pm (Fr. Hans out of town
AUGUST
- Thursday Aug 1 — St. Demetrios Brotherhood at 7:00pm
Wisdom From The Elders
Remember the Blessed Elder’s definition of philotimo: “The reverent distillation of goodness, the love shown by humble people, from which every trace of self has been filtered out. Their hearts are full of gratitude towards God and their fellow men; and out of spiritual sensitivity, they try to repay the slightest good others do for them.”
Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
Every man on earth is sick with the fever of sin, with the blindness of sin, is overcome by the fury of sin; and as sins mostly consist in malice and pride, it is necessary to treat every- one who suffers from the malady of sin with kindness and love. This is an important truth, which we often forget. We often, very often, act in opposition to this truth; we add malice to malice by our anger, we oppose pride to pride. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
If we are to take stock of our lives and our genuine condition, and if we are to engage more wholly in the transfiguring ascetical life that leads into the Kingdom, we must redevelop in ourselves an awareness of our adversary— to come ourselves to “foresee the snares of the devil.” To follow Christ is to know the power of this enemy, of the demons, and to work actively against them even as they work actively against us. Bishop Irenei Steenberg
Actually, a man’s real life begins with his faith in the Lord Christ, which commits all his soul, all his heart, all his strength to the Lord Christ, Who gradually sanctifies, transfigures, deifies them. Venerable Justin of Chelije in Serbia
Naturally, when one reaches a good spiritual state, he doesn’t ask anything for himself. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
…an untried man is unpracticed. St. Barsanuphius
Remember in Your Prayers
Richard
Christine
Nina (Kovalev)
Hugh (Jacquie)
Violet (Jacquie Mom)
Tammie (Jacquie friend)
Connie
Baby Luke
George
Priest Kyprianos
Presvytera Charlotte
Savannah (Jonson)
Bud
Silvana
Nicole
Evan
Megan
Bill R.
Pat R.
Aglaia
George
Hieromonk Serapion
Priest Kyprianos
Presvytera Charlotte
Bryan, Carolina, their unborn baby
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 FifthSunday after Pentecost
How great are Thy works, O Lord!
In wisdom hast Thou made them all.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. (10:1-10)
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israelis that it may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law, that everyone who has faith may be justified. Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it.
But the righteousness based on faith says: Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into Heaven?”(that is, to bring Christ down) or “Who will descend into the abyss?”(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.
Gospel
For the Fifth Sunday of Matthew
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (8:28-9:1)
At that time, when Jesus came to the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met Him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have we to do to Thee, O Son of God? Art Thou come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged Him, “If Thou castest us out, send us away into the herd of swine.” And He said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters.
The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their neighborhood. And getting into a boat He crossed over and came to His own city.
