St. Peter Orthodox Church Newsletter February 4, 2020

Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican
Leave-Taking of the Presentation (Meeting) of Christ

What is a Publican and a Pharisee?

A Pharisee was an externally decent and righteous man of religion. The Publican was a sinful tax-collector who was cheating the people.

Though the Pharisee was genuinely righteous under the Law, he boasted before God and was condemned. The Publican, although he was truly sinful, begged for mercy, received it, and was justified by God.

The focus this Sunday is on the Gospel of Luke 18:10-14, in which two men went to the Temple to pray. On this Sunday in the preparation for Great Lent, we are to see that we have not the religious piety of the Pharisee, but the repentance of the Publican. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:14)

Read more on the Orthdoxwiki website.

To learn more about the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, listen to Fr. Thomas Hopko’s podcast on the St. Peter website.

Fr. Tom teaches on the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee as we prepare for the Lenten season.

House Blessings Continue!

To sign up for house blessings please text Fr. Hans at 239-248-4775 with some available dates and times that work, or send an email to info@stpeterorthodoxchurch.com, or sign up in the Social Hall. Fr. Hans will call you to set up the appointment.

If you call there is a good chance I cannot pick up, and if I am in the car I cannot write down the information anyway. That’s why texting is preferred.

Greek School Schedule

St. Peter Orthodox Church Greek School with Eleni Stamelou.

• Child Beginners meet on Tuesday evenings from January 28 to March 24 at 5:00pm
• Adult Beginners meet on Wednesday evenings from January 29 to March 25 at 5:30pm.
• Adult Intermediate/Conversational meet on Wednesday evenings from January 29 to March 25 at 4:30pm.

Mark You Calendar! Valentine’s Day Party on February 15, 2020

LOVE AROUND THE WORLD:
A VALENTINE’S DINNER COVERED DISH CELEBRATION

DATE: Saturday, February 15
TIME: 5:00pm
WHERE: St. Peter’s Fellowship Hall
RSVP: Tina Kucera at 239-980-1520 along with the Covered Dish you can prepare

Live Entertainment from 6:30pm to 8:30pm! Dance to you favorite sounds from the 50s, 60s, and 70s!

An RSVP is required. Please call Tina Kucera at 239-280-1520 today!

No tickets are being sold for this event. All donations for “Love Around the World” will go directly to St. Peter’s Church Building Fund.

Bp. Nicholas Visiting St. Peter’s on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 5:00pm

Bp. Nicholas will be making an Archpastoral visit to St. Peter’s on Sunday, February 23 at 5:00pm.

We will begin the evening with Vespers and then have a light supper in the Social Hall where he will greet us and give us his encouragement. Bp. Nicholas is a hands-on bishop, caring of his priests and parishes and this is a good opportunity to get to know him better, and let him get to know us.

We need to make a good showing when he visits. Please come for Vespers that evening, even if you came to Liturgy that morning. The Church needs good bishops to flourish and Bp. Nicholas is a good bishop.

Women of St. Peter’s: Women’s Retreat On Saturday, March 14, 2020

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE

The Women of St. Peter hosts the annual Lenten Retreat at St. Peter’s on Saturday, March 7. Fr. Alexis Kouri of St. Philip’s Orthodox Church in Davie, Florida, is the guest speaker.

If you can help with the event, please contact Mary Copeland or Nancy Forderhase to volunteer.

Please plan to attend this one day retreat. We want to support this effort with a strong showing from the Women of St. Peter’s. A $10 contributionwill pay for the food expenses.

Please sign up on Sundays or RSVP to Mary Copeland at 239-298-1730 or Nancy Forderhase at 859-749-9509.

Our Stewardship to St. Peter’s

The letter for Stewardship Support of St. Peter’s in 2020 has been sent.

We are responsible to increase what God has given us. In the Parable of the Talents, the master gave his servants talents that they are expected to nurture and grow. This is a responsibility we cannot avoid.

The Church is both a place where the increase begins on the inside of us, and to which we much give some our increase. This too is a responsibility we must take on.

A contribution form will be included in the letter you receive. Our goal this year is $217,000.

Upcoming Liturgies

St. Haralambos on Monday, February 10, 2020 at 9:30am

Saturday of the Souls on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 9:30am

Saturday of the Souls on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 9:30am

Pledge & Income Report – December 2019

Thank you to all of you who support Saint Peter’s. The final 2019 donation totalsare in and we have met our expenses. In fact, we were a little bit ahead for theyear.

Our December income was $17,822 and as you know, our expenses are $16,777so we were $1,045 ahead.

We ask that you all continue your generous giving spirit as our 2020 expenses willbe going up due to increase in rent.

Calendar At A Glance

February

• Wed-Sat Feb 5-8 — Fr. Hans Out of Town
• Tue Feb 4 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed Feb 5 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed Feb 5 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Mon Feb 10 — St. Haramlabos Divine Liturgy 9:30am
• Tue Feb 11 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed Feb 12 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed Feb 5 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Sat Feb 15 — Valentine’s Day Party 5:00pm
• Tue Feb 18 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed Feb 19 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed Feb 5 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Sat Feb 22 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am
• Sun Feb 23 — Bishop Nicholas Pastoral Visit 6:00pm
• Tue Feb 25 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed Feb 26 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed Feb 5 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Sat Feb 29 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am

March

• Tue March 3 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed March 4 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed March 4 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Tue March 10 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed March 11 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed March 11 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Tue March 17 — — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed March 18 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• Wed March 18 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm
• Tue March 24 — Child Beginners Greek School 5:00pm
• Wed March 25 — Adult Intermediate/conversational Greek School 4:30pm
• WWed March 25 — Adult Beginners/conversational Greek School 5:30pm

Please note the extra remaining liturgies scheduled for January/February:

• Mon Feb 10 — St. Haramlabos Divine Liturgy 9:30am
• Sat Feb 22 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am
• Sat-Sun Feb 22 — St. Paul (Naples) Founders Day
• Sun Feb 23 — Bp. Nicholas Visit to St. Peter’s 5:00pm
• Sat Feb 29 — Saturday of the Souls Divine Liturgy 9:30am

March

• Sat Mar 14 — Sts. Peter/Paul Women’s Retreat

Wisdom From The Elders

All men, led by the light of fallen nature alienated from guidance of God’s light, will be enticed into submission to the seducer (antichrist). St Ignaty Brianchaninov

Many receive grace to begin with but very few get it back after losing it.” St. Silouan the Athonite

Freedom from the passions is brought about by the crucifying of both the intellect and the flesh. This makes a man capable of contemplating God. The intellect is crucified when undean thoughts are driven out of it, and the body when the passions are uprooted. Venerable Isaac the Syrian, bishop of Nineveh

Therefore a Christian must always think and speak and do only what is good, for as the Lord says, ‘A house divided against itself shall not stand’ (Matt. 12:25). Venerable Symeon the New Theologian

It is only through its divine-human power that Christianity is the “salt” of the earth, a salt which preserves humanity from decomposing into sin and evil. If, however, Christianity becomes decomposed into various humanistic elements, then it becomes lifeless, it becomes a “saltless” salt, which, according to the ever-true word of the Savior, “is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men” (Matth. 5:13). Venerable Justin (Popovic) of Chelije in Serbia

However, to overcome and eradicate passions is not enough. In the place of eradicated passions it is necessary to firmly implant in the heart their opposite counterparts, the good dispositions of the soul that are called “virtues” by the Holy Fathers. AArchbishop Averky (Taushev)

Remember in Your Prayers

Macy James
Joan (Breitenbach)
Mary (Rauch)
Warren (BAND)
Joseph (Breitenbach)
Diomidis (Kanellos)

Anastasia (Ann Constan)
Ben (Ben)
Thomas (Ben)
Irene (C. Diveris)
Vasiliki (C.Diveris)
Efrosini (C. diveris)
Charles (Oberg)
Christine (Kouzes)
Nina (Kovalev)
Hugh (Jacquie)
Violet (Jacquie Mom)
Tammie (Jacquie friend)
Phillip
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

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 Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He hath regarded the humility of His servant.

The Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy. (3:10-15)

Timothy my son, you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, and my sufferings; and what befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra. What persecutions I endured; yet from them all, the Lord rescued me. Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Gospel

For Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (18:10-14)

The Lord spoke this parable: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”