{"id":26413,"date":"2016-08-23T07:09:37","date_gmt":"2016-08-23T11:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=5332"},"modified":"2016-08-23T07:09:37","modified_gmt":"2016-08-23T11:09:37","slug":"st-peter-newsletter-august-22-2016-tenth-sunday-of-matthew-the-apostle-paul-barbecue-in-september-farewell-to-a-friend-and-more-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-newsletter-august-22-2016-tenth-sunday-of-matthew-the-apostle-paul-barbecue-in-september-farewell-to-a-friend-and-more-2\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter Newsletter August 22, 2016 — Tenth Sunday of Matthew, The Apostle Paul, Barbecue in September, Farewell to a Friend, and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Epistle Reading about the Apostle Paul<\/h2>\n

In the epistle reading for Sunday has the Apostle Paul tells us about how he suffering for the sake of his children in the faith in the Churches that he started. He lists the things he went through, and then tells his readers that they too should imitate him. (See the reading at the bottom of this post.) <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Apostle Paul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

St. Paul says that he was “born out of due season” because he was not a disciple of Christ when Christ was performing His earthly ministry. In fact, he said that he was the least worthy of all disciples because he persecuted the Church of Christ before his conversion. St. Paul (who was known as Saul at the time) was present when St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death.<\/p>\n

St. Paul came to Christ on the road to Damascus (that’s where we get the phrase “a road to Damascus experience”). He was confronted by the Lord Jesus and struck blind. Christ talked to Him and St. Paul (Saul) talked to Christ and he became a follower of Christ.<\/p>\n

In the scripture reading for Sunday we see how greatly St. Paul suffered for his churches but then he adds:<\/p>\n

\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What St. Paul means here is that he does no list his sufferings to make us ashamed, but to exhort us, to warn<\/em> us, that we are to follow his teachings and his teachings alone. There were many false apostles at the time of St. Paul, and some of them would go to the churches he started and try to pervert the teachings. None of them suffered for his flock as he had however, and this suffering was both 1) proof of his apostleship (the authority given to him by God), and 2) his great love for them. <\/p>\n

A Brief Biography<\/h4>\n

Named Saul at his birth in the city of Tarsus, the holy apostle was a son of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul became a Pharisee under Gamaliel, one of the chief Jewish Rabbis (Masters\/Teachers) of the day. After his study under the great Rabbi, Saul became one of the chief persecutors of Christians. Present at the stoning of St Stephen (Acts 7: 58), Saul later found himself blinded by Jesus Himself on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22). Sought out by the Apostle Ananias, Saul immediately repented and Ananias baptized him.<\/p>\n

Saul, soon after his conversion called Paul, was later named and numbered among the Apostles. The extent of Paul’s preaching as he spread the Gospel went far and wide from Arabia to Spain, to both Jews and Gentiles. He was called the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Paul spent his new life in suffering and labor for Christ, establishing and organizing churches everywhere. He reached such a state of perfection that he was able to say to the Church at Galatia: “not I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Like the Apostle Barnabas, Paul studied under Gamaliel.<\/p>\n

The account of Paul’s missionary journeys and the letters he wrote to the Churches he founded form an important part of the New Testament. St. Paul was martyred with the Apostle Peter under Nero by beheading.<\/p>\n

Source: Orthodoxwiki<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Farewell to a Good Friend<\/h2>\n
\"Constantine<\/a>
Dino Houpis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is with sadness that we received the news that Dino Houpis will not be returning to Naples and St. Peter’s this winter. This is a great disappointment for Dino and our community. Dino loves St. Peter’s and we love him. <\/p>\n

Dino sends his regards to everyone in St. Peter’s. I asked him if it would be okay to make this announcement in the newsletter and he said yes. He also asked me to tell you that he will miss all of his friends at St. Peter’s.<\/p>\n

Many of you don’t know that Dino is a very accomplished man who was the trailblazer in a mechanical theory and wrote the first book in his field that is still the standard used in universities today. He is working on editing the newest edition.<\/p>\n

Pray for Dino, especially for his health. These last few years have been very difficult for him. If anyone would like to send him a note you can write him at: Dr. Constantine Houpis, 7001 Charing Court, Huber Heights, Ohio, 45424.<\/p>\n

Dino will be living with his son and daughter-in-law in Dayton, OH. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Events This Fall<\/h2>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

As we enter into the new Ecclesiastical Year, St. Peter’s will hold at least one monthly parish event. Please mark you calendars.<\/p>\n