{"id":6943,"date":"2018-06-05T12:20:34","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T16:20:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=6943"},"modified":"2018-06-05T12:20:34","modified_gmt":"2018-06-05T16:20:34","slug":"st-peter-newsletter-june-5-2018-second-sunday-of-pentecost-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-newsletter-june-5-2018-second-sunday-of-pentecost-2\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter Newsletter June 5, 2018 &#8211; Second Sunday of Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Second Sunday after Pentecost<br \/>\nSecond Sunday of Matthew<\/h2>\n<h4>Martyr Alexander and Virgin-martyr Antonina at Constantinople; Venerable Theophanes the monk and Pansemne the former harlot of Antioch; John the Wonderworker, Metropolitan of Tobolsk and all Siberia.<\/h4>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5973\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5973\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/matthew-500x498.png\" alt=\"St. Matthew\" width=\"500\" height=\"498\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5973\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5973\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">St. Matthew<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<h2>Calling All Seniors! Luncheon on Thursday, June 7 at Noon.<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/senior-adult-fellowship-500x160.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"160\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6897\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Seniors, join us for the first of many monthly get-togethers. Meet your friends, enjoy the conversation, and share in some good food!<\/p>\n<p>We meet at noon on Thursday, June 7 at noon at Church.<\/p>\n<p>This will be the first of monthly get-togethers.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<h2>Paraklesis to the Theotokos on Wednesday at 6:00pm<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/theotokos-500x283.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"283\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6941\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A Paraklesis (prayer of supplication) to the Theotokos will be held on Wednesday, June 6, at 6:00pm. <\/p>\n<p>We will say this prayer to ask the Lord for guidance for our parish of St. Peter&#8217;s as we make decisions about our future. As you know, the time has come to find another location and we have several ideas in the works.<\/p>\n<p>The Theotokos guides priests and parishes in decisions like this. Fr. Hans has been saying the Paraklesis daily for over a month. This Wednesday anyone who desires to join in can do so. The service lasts about 45 minutes.<\/p>\n<h2>Your Support is Needed<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/st-peter-500x242.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"242\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6942\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The increase in rent and the lean summer months means that we need to raise at least $25,000 above than current income to end the year in the black. As you know, St. Peter&#8217;s runs a lean operation but so far income is not projected to meet expenses. Rather than ignore this and hope for the best, we need to address the challenge today while it is still manageable.<\/p>\n<p>What can you do? First of course is to keep the parish in your prayers. God takes care of us and will continue to do so. Secondly, prayerfully consider an increase in giving or a special gift to meet this need.<\/p>\n<h2>Mark Your Calendar!<\/h2>\n<h4>Pilgrimage to Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery on Saturday, July 7, 2018<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/panagia-vlahernon-monastery-500x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"243\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6853\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Join us for a pilgrimage to the Panagia Vlahernon Monastery near Ocala on Saturday, July 7, 2018. We will leave the church at 8:00am and return between 9:00-10:00pm. We will rent a bus and ride up together. More details forthcoming.<\/p>\n<p>You can learn more about the monastery <a href=\"http:\/\/www.panagiavlahernon.org\/index.html\">on their website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Calendar At A Glance<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Saturday, July 7, 2018<\/strong> &mdash; 8:00am Pilgrimage to Panagia Vlahernon Monastery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<h2>Wisdom From The Elders<\/h2>\n<p>Repentance is the renewal of life. This means we must free ourselves of all our negative traits and turn toward absolute good. No sin is unforgivable except the sin of unrepentance. <strong>Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Do not abandon the will of God in order to serve the will of man. <strong>Glinsk elder Schema-Hieromonk Andronicus Lukasha<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Geronda, I am troubled by the thoughts of unbelief that come to me. &#8211; The fact that you are troubled by them and do not accept them, means that these thoughts come from the evil one. <strong>Elder Paisios of Mount Athos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For if we refrain from sin merely out of fear of punishment, it is quite clear that, unless punishment had awaited us, we should have done things deserving punishment, since our propensity is for sinning. But if we abstain from evil actions not through threat of punishment, but because we hate such actions, then it is from love of the Master that we practice the virtues, fearful lest we should fall away from Him. <strong>St. Theodoros the Great Ascetic<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Prayer of the heart not only helps others but also ourselves, because it helps us to acquire inner good ness. When we put ourselves in others&rsquo; shoes, love then comes naturally, as does compassion, humility, and our gratitude to God with continuous praise, and then prayer for our fellow human beings is acceptable to God and helpful to them. <strong>Elder Paisios of Mount Athos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Make your one aim in life the doing of the will of Jesus in every circumstance, however important or trifling it may seem. <strong>St. Ignatius Brianchaninov<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<h2>Remember in Your Prayers<\/h2>\n<p>\nCarolyn L.<br \/>\nJim R.<br \/>\nVassiliki<br \/>\nOctavio<br \/>\nTom<br \/>\nCarl<br \/>\nRena<br \/>\nNikolay (5 year old boy in Bulgaria whose parents asked us to pray)<br \/>\nDavid<br \/>\nEva K.<br \/>\nRosie<br \/>\nJill<br \/>\nKathryn<br \/>\nJeremy<br \/>\nRobert<br \/>\nJane<br \/>\nTheodora<br \/>\nBaby Brynn L.<br \/>\nMicheal<br \/>\nHaralambos<br \/>\nLillian<br \/>\nPresbytera Rosy<br \/>\nValentina<br \/>\nJohn<br \/>\nEva W.<br \/>\nBarbara<br \/>\nAngela<br \/>\nSonya<br \/>\nKenneth<br \/>\nCarol Ann<br \/>\nMatthew<br \/>\nChrysostom<br \/>\nTim<br \/>\nRon<br \/>\nIvy-Jean<br \/>\nPat<br \/>\nChristina<br \/>\nMaria Louise<br \/>\nMaximos<br \/>\nMarian<br \/>\nPhotini<br \/>\nNicholas<br \/>\nSarah<br \/>\nPetronia (Wife of Phil Pappas)<br \/>\nConstantine Houpis<br \/>\nAnna Marie Smith Baker<br \/>\nRon Chromulak<br \/>\nBeverly Chromulak<br \/>\nKaterina<br \/>\nLoucine Kassis<br \/>\nMary Kassis<br \/>\nBaby Maximus<br \/>\nChristine<br \/>\nMaria<br \/>\nAnnette Star<br \/>\nClaire Livaditis<br \/>\nEva Chandilles<br \/>\nBaby Dani<br \/>\nScott Nedoff<br \/>\nAnthony Mourgis<br \/>\nJohn Hansen<br \/>\nJames Hord<br \/>\nTom<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><em>Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time <a href=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/prayer-list\/\">on the St. Peter website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<h2>Sunday Readings<\/h2>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/pantokrator-blessing.png\" alt=\"Christ Giving Blessing\" width=\"500\" height=\"275\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3509\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<h4>Epistle<\/h4>\n<p>For Second Sunday after Pentecost<\/p>\n<p>Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us.<br \/>\nRejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.<\/p>\n<p>The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. (2:10-16)<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Brethren, glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. All who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. For it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. When Gentiles who have not the Law do by nature what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the Law. They show that what the Law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<h4>Gospel<\/h4>\n<p>For Second Sunday of Matthew<\/p>\n<p>The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (4:18-23)<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>At that time, as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, &ldquo;Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.&rdquo; Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin: 1em 1em\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/divider-2.png\" alt=\"St. Peter Orthodox Church\" \/><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First Sunday of Matthew, Senior Get-Together, Paraklesis on Wednesday, Wisdom from the Saints      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}